Arjuna blames Finance Ministry officials for delaying import of buses for public transport

Finance Ministry officials have been delaying imports of 2000 luxury buses for public transport, Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said today (Aug 14), adding that he would have to make a decision on his political career if this situation persists.

Speaking to the media following an event in Dompe, the Transport Minister said that he has been urging the importation of these buses for about one-and-a-half months during cabinet meetings.

“If Finance Ministry officials are obstructing these imports then why should we engage in politics?” he queried while responding to journalists who posed questions on the transport sector.

Ranatunga pointed out that the people require an efficient public transport service of high standards and not private modes of transport. However, he stated that public transport could not be developed using old bus models.

The Transport Minister alleged that officials at the Finance Ministry have been showing enthusiasm in importing luxury buses for the private sector. "They dont display the same approach when importing buses for the Transport Board," he claimed.