Sri Lanka has successfully reduced daily vehicle import expenditure from an average of USD 5.27 million to USD 3.9 million through measures introduced to curb imports amid economic pressures, the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Anil Jayantha stated.

Speaking in Parliament today (12), the Deputy Minister said that under normal conditions, vehicle imports had averaged USD 5.27 million per day in 2025.

However, due to public concerns and uncertainty surrounding the economic situation, vehicle imports had at one stage surged to USD 6.8 million per day as people rushed to import vehicles.

He noted that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has created economic shocks that have affected Sri Lanka in various ways, particularly through increased pressure on fuel prices and foreign exchange markets.

Dr. Anil Jayantha said the government introduced several strategies to manage the situation, including appealing to the public to limit vehicle imports and implementing a mechanism to control the inflow of vehicles.

According to the Deputy Minister, the measures have already begun to show results. He revealed that during the first eight working days of June, excluding public holidays, Sri Lanka spent USD 31.72 million on vehicle imports, averaging USD 3.9 million per day.

“This demonstrates that vehicle imports have fallen to a level even lower than what we initially expected,” he said.

Deputy Minister Fernando further stressed that if the Middle East crisis continues to escalate, the government will need to pay close attention to managing its impact on the local economy, particularly in relation to foreign exchange demand and import costs.