Sri Lankan vehicle importers to campaign for import of eco-friendly vehicles
View(s):The Vehicle Importers Association of Lanka (VIAL) says it is campaigning to encourage the Sri Lankan Government to promote and import eco-friendly vehicles to the country. This was stated at a recent conference in Colombo hosted by VIAL for a group of delegates from Japan on the theme “Setting Goals towards Eco-Friendly Auto Market by 2020”. VIAL President Sampath Merenchige, in his welcome address, said today the world has advanced technology and the country must get maximum use of that technology with regard to vehicles by using eco-friendly models in the coming decades. “We cannot do anything until we get together and interact with the government.
As an association we must encourage the government to promote and import eco-friendly vehicles to the country.” In comments on the conference which were released to the media through a media release, he said in the past, countries that had monopolies over fuel controls had refrained from introducing a new technology and eco-friendly vehicles to the market. But due to the influence of environmentalists and scientists, developed counties have taken steps to introduce high technology and eco-friendly hybrid and electric vehicles to the market. As a result those countries give zero duty and some grants to import such vehicles.
With President Maithripala Sirisena being the Environment Minister the country must push for new rules and regulations for reasonable less tax to encourage the importation of hybrid and electric vehicles according to the needs of the country, Mr. Merenchige added. Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando, chief guest at the event, said by introducing eco-friendly vehicles the auto market will bring huge benefits to the country. The recent tax hikes made by the government on automobiles was a temporary measure, he said. The minister requested vehicle importers to have patience and noted that he was amazed in what the vehicle importers want to achieve in 2020, wanting to go green, thinking about the environment and the next generation.
Guest of Honour, Ashok Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Transport, said the country imports around US$1.6 billion worth vehicles from Japan which stands at the third position from the total $18.9 billion Sri Lankan import costs. “But the country’s total export income is $10.5 billion. Because of this $9 billion gap the Finance Ministry has apparently taken measures to reduce vehicle imports,” he said. The deputy minister also said that over 6.2 million vehicles are registered in the country, of which about 4 million vehicles take the roads daily. From that over half a million vehicles are used on Colombo roads itself daily.
The deputy minister’s figures didn’t tally with Central Bank data last year which showed that export earnings were $11.1 billion while imports cost $19.4 billion. Big spenders were fuel ($4.6 billion), textiles ($2.3 billion), food and beverages ($1.6 billion), building materials ($1.3 billion) while vehicles was $896 million. Another big spender was ‘other intermediate goods’ at $1.6 billion. The Motor Guide Directory compiled by VIAL was launched at the event. Tokens of appreciation were also presented to two very important individuals who had done a tremendous amount of work for VIAL, Nishantha Senadipathi and Administrative Secretary VIAL, Sunil Ranasinghe.