Sri Lanka plans to phase out the gas-powered vehicles
View(s):Sri Lanka is working on a timeline for phasing out the import of petrol and diesel vehicles. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has directed the Treasury to work out a plan towards this end. The long term aim is to make Sri Lanka an eco-friendly country by 2040 as a part of the government’s ‘Green imitative’.
According to the Treasury plan, all state owned vehicles will be hybrids by the year 2025.
Relief will be provided for all electric vehicle owners as the import tax on electric cars will be reduced by Rs.1 million, Minister Samaraweera told a top level meeting at his ministry recently.
The Finance Ministry announced that the tax concession proposed in the 2018 budget for imported brand new electric cars will be extended to cover used electric cars of not more than one year old.
This will be a major stride towards importing more electric vehicles into the country; he said adding that the country’s network of charging centres will be expanded to encourage electric vehicle imports.
The government will set up 63 electric vehicle recharging stations countrywide with private sector assistance with a view of promoting electric cars and electric three wheelers in the island, Minister Samaraweera disclosed.
The number of electric vehicles in the country has grown to 4,000 at present from 90 in 2014. Around 50 electric vehicle battery recharging stations have sprung up in or near the main towns.
Power laws will be amended to enable the regulation and supervision of the growing number of recharging stations emerging around the island to cater to the increasing fleet of electric vehicles.
However the decision not to give tax relief for used vehicles of more than one year old was impractical, Mahisanka Abeywickrama, co-founder and interim committee member of EV-Club Sri Lanka said.
Brand new electric vehicles are still not imported to the country. However the efficiency of the car will remain throughout many years when compared with hybrids and petrol cars, he added.
Mr. Abeywickrama noted that the government should allow import of at least 2-year old electric vehicles.
He said the main component which will depreciate when running is the electric battery.
When a new battery is replaced with the old battery, the old battery could be used for home solar systems for another five years. After that period there is a process of re-exporting and recycling and even batteries of hybrids cars follow the same process, he disclosed.
(Bandula)