Govt. to cut vehicle imports by 30 percent

Import of vehicles to Sri Lanka with taxes .... to be cut down by 30 percent
 Public to buy local vehicles-- Minister Sarath Amunugama

Minister Sarath Amunugama making a revelation about imports of vehicles to Sri Lanka in future said  in parliament yesterday that such imports to Sri Lanka has been decided to cut down by 30%.

He also said that arrangements are underway to assemble and produce vehicles locally to meet the requirements in Sri Lanka and that spare parts would be brought down from India and Pakistan and it is hoped to launch this assembling activity soon in Polgahawela area where the factory concerned has been installed for this purpose.

The Minister said that as a result of vehicles being imported to the country from countries such as Japan, India, Korea and Malaysia the expenditure incurred in this respect amounts to millions of dollars annually and once the local assembling process is put into motion, that expenditure could be cut down to some extent or it could be saved.

He further said that as such, in future, Sri Lanka would limit imports of vehicles and that the Sri Lankan public would be motivated to increase the number of vehicles being assembled and thus discourage vehicle imports because a high price has to be paid to vehicles brought from other countries.