Kurdistan Region ends tax exemption for hybrid vehicles

ERBIL, Iraq — A tax exemption previously granted to hybrid vehicles in Iraq's Kurdistan Region took effect Wednesday, leaving only fully electric cars eligible for the incentive. The change was announced at a press conference in Erbil by Hemin Mirani, director general of the Diwan office attached to the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Interior. Mirani said vehicles that run on both gasoline and electricity would now be subject to the applicable taxes. Fully electric vehicles, by contrast, will continue to qualify for the exemption under the revised policy. The Ministry of Interior had earlier signaled that the exemption would be narrowed to cover only zero-emission models. The decision took effect on the day of the announcement. No further details on transitional arrangements or the specific tax rates applied to hybrid vehicles were immediately available.