Sri Lanka to encourage manufacture of vehicle spare parts
View(s):The Sri Lankan government is to encourage the manufacture of vehicle spare parts by providing incentives similar to those available in India where this is a vibrant small and cottage industry, Transport Minister Kumara Welgama said at the inauguration of the Sri Lanka International Auto Show in Colombo on Friday.
Pic by Ranjith Perera shows Minister Kumara Welgama checking out a Royal Enfield motorcycle which is priced at a costly Rs. 700,000 per bike. The Enfield brand is over 100 years old, first started in England and then was bought over and moved to Chennai, India.
He reiterated that the government will not give permits to start new vehicle assembly plants unless they use at least 30 per cent of local auto components as value addition.
Therefore the manufacturers of auto accessories with or without foreign collaboration would have a better market for their products in the near future, he revealed.
Sri Lanka is manufacturing tyres, batteries, upholsteries and some rubber components for the auto industry in a small scale but the country has the ability and skills to produce various vehicle spare parts, he said. He revealed that in India, women are turning out clutch plates in their homes for Leyland buses.
The Sri Lanka International Auto Show at Colombo Exhibition and Convention Centre was organized by CEMS Global USA in association with Conference & Exhibition Management Services Lanka Private Ltd (CEMS). The event ends today.