Vehicle importers and the general public were eagerly awaiting concessions on vehicle imports through the 2027 Budget, however, no relief has been announced in this regard, says Vice President of the Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) Arosha Rodrigo.
Making a special statement, Rodrigo said no changes had been introduced to vehicle import taxes or surcharges through the 2027 Budget presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament yesterday (12).
He said the association had also made an inquiry with the Ministry of Finance regarding the possibility of granting concessions to the vehicle import sector.
According to Rodrigo, the Ministry had indicated that, considering the country's foreign exchange reserve situation and the ongoing war in the Middle East, it was preferable to at least allow vehicle imports to continue under the existing arrangements.
He further said regulations on the Loan-to-Value ratio had also been strictly enforced through a circular issued by the authorities.
Rodrigo noted that the association had made several requests to the government to provide concessions to the vehicle import sector. However, no concessions had been granted through the Budget.
