Public servants get Micro cars on permits
View(s):While the issuance of motor vehicle permits on concessionary terms for senior level executive grade officials among public servants to import motor vehicles has been rescinded, they would however be allowed to purchase locally produced or assembled cars using their tax slashed vehicle import permits, the Finance Ministry announced.
This was one of the initiatives taken by the Ministry to avert a foreign exchange crisis in the face of the continued depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee.
Tax slashed permits already issued to senior executive officials who have not opened letters of credit by March 31 would not be able to import vehicles under this scheme, a senior Treasury official said.
However he noted that these officials numbering around 17,000 would be issued new permits to purchase locally produced or assembled cars.
The suspension of tax slashed ‘permits’ to politicians and senior officials could save a sum of around US$210 million by controlling such vehicle imports, official data showed.
In a letter sent to a leading vehicle assembly company, Director General of the Department of Trade and Investment Policy of the Finance Ministry, C. Jayasuriya has outlined the standard procedure that should be followed in selling locally assembled vehicles to senior public executive officials.
The Ministry has agreed with certain conditions in respect of the supply of locally assembled vehicles by Micro Cars Ltd based on new permits issued by the ministry.
This agreement was reached on the procedure of supplying vehicles at the meeting held on September 25 and subsequent correspondence with Micro Cars Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Sri Lanka Customs and the Department of Trade and Investment Policy of the Finance Ministry.
It has been agreed to accept an advance payment from a permit holder for the vehicle booking on surrender of the permit and submit details on personnel bookings to the Department of Trade and Investment Policy daily.