Dear Editor Good on the Prime Minister for focusing on “growth” in 2025. May this writer humbly suggest that the government begins with truly aggressive growth in the number of vehicles on our uncrowded and under-utilised roads?

Sure, the car dealer at Avatiu that cut down the trees and replaced them with a sea of cars is doing his part, but that’s just not good enough. Let’s all do our part.

PM, please suggest Cabinet cut import tax and VAT on all vehicles to be imported. Give an especially big incentive for the import of the Chinese utes that begin to show serious rust about the same time the owner makes the last hire-purchase payment. That one goes to the recycling yard and the next cheap one comes in.

Anyone who says we have enough vehicles already on Rarotonga obviously did not drive through town on Christmas Eve about noon when there should not have been a single parking space open and lots of frustrated drivers trying to park for those last-minute gift buys. This writer did drive through town on the day and there were 2 – count them – empty spaces. You can’t get real economic growth with vacant car parks. We need every space full and a couple of dozen frustrated drivers burning up the petrol and diesel driving around and around to give us grown in the fuels market.

So, thanks to the PM and let’s all push for uncontrolled growth in the number of vehicles on the road, remembering that the sooner we wear out Chris Vaile’s good roads the sooner his boys are out laying new roads and boosting the economy in that sector.

(Name and address supplied)