No vehicle shortage; 7,000 units imported: Importers

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama
The Vehicle Importers’ Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) yesterday affirmed that there is no shortage of imported vehicles in the country, with nearly 7,000 new vehicles have already been imported to both the Hambantota and Colombo Ports.
Addressing the media, VIASL President Prasad Manage rejected the reports claiming there is a decline in the sales of imported vehicles, stating that since the resumption of vehicle imports, nearly 75 percent of the imported vehicles have already been sold.
“There is a strong demand for new vehicles, as people have waited for five years for imports to resume. It is only natural that there has been a slight increase in the vehicle taxes, along with a rise in the Japanese yen rate, both contributing to higher vehicle prices,” said Manage.
He also highlighted the growing demand for Toyota models, compact vehicles such as Japanese Alto and Wagon R as well as European vehicles.
When asked about the vehicle prices going forward, Manage explained that due to the fluctuations in the global foreign exchange rates, it is difficult to predict whether the vehicle prices would decrease.