7 February 2021 10:09 am
The Inter-Provincial Private Bus Association (IPPBA) and Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA) said that they would go for the scheduled countrywide strike on Monday (8) midnight, after the discussion with Money & Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms State Minister Ajith Nivad Cabraal tomorrow morning.
IPPBA President Sarath Vijitha Kumara and LPBOA Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne told the Daily Mirror that a discussion is scheduled to be held with the State Minister over the issues the industry is faced with.
"We will be discussing the current issues that the private bus industry is facing and about not having received the assured benefits including leasing concessions granted by the Government," the Associations said.
They said the state banks and other state-run institutions have granted the Government concessions, but the private banks and leasing companies failed to provide the concessions announced by the government.
Most private banks and leasing companies act on their own rules and levy higher and different interest rates when recoverinh the monthly installment payments even during the morotorium period, the bus Associations charged.
Although the State Transport Minister announced the Ministry had provided the Government's concessions, the bus Associations lamented that they have not received anything so far. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)