2 October 2020 12:00 am
By Chaturanga Samarawickrama
The Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) yesterday said there are less than 3,000 motor vehicles in the market and those vehicles are not even sufficient to cater to the demands for at least two and a half months, VIASL Secretary Arosha Rodrigo said.
He said they made this assumption following a survey carried out by the Association regarding the current vehicle stock situation. He said this situation cannot be controlled for the survival of the trade until the Government decided to lift the import ban immediately.
However, Government officials have been provided with blatantly overestimated figures despite the current motor vehicle stock levels. Even the President’s Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundara has said the current vehicle stock is sufficient for two and a half years, he said. Therefore, we urge the government to lift the ban on motor vehicles at the earliest for the mobility of our economy and the development of various industries.
Furthermore, concessions need to be provided to categories such as small motor-cars, trucks, vans and buses. This will enable mobility and development of people-centric economic sectors paving the way for motor vehicle importers to survive, Mr Rodrigo added.