President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his intentions to gradually ease restrictions on private vehicle imports, beginning from next year.
He made this announcement during his participation in a gathering organized by the United Youth Union, themed “Future of the Youth,” held yesterday (12) at Taprobane Entertainment.
“I don’t foresee vehicle imports happening this year, but our aim is to initiate the process gradually starting from next year,” he stated.
President Wickremesinghe acknowledged the challenges within the current car market, emphasizing that while the government has permitted the import of various commodities to maintain the balance of payments, vehicle imports have been restricted.
“We are cautious about the impact of allowing car imports, as it could potentially regress the country. However, our plan is to introduce vehicle imports in a systematic and incremental manner, prioritizing essential vehicle types as the initial step,” he explained.
Highlighting government actions, President Wickremesinghe mentioned that this year, the import of buses was permitted specifically for tourist transportation purposes.
During the interaction, youth attendees raised concerns about the soaring prices in the used car market, indicating a lack of effective price regulation.
