Although he is not against allowing private vehicle imports, the president of the Lanka Vehicle Importers Association, Indika Sampath Merenvige, says that the opportunity to sell such imported vehicles should not be allowed.
He stated that if private vehicle importers sell those cars, vans, lorries and buses to consumers, it will be a big problem for businessmen in the import business.
He said that regular vehicle importers have been facing a lot of inconvenience for the past 5 years due to the decision to ban vehicle imports.
Therefore, he also said that he is requesting the government to issue a license to those regular vehicle importers to conduct business for at least 2 years.
He said that from next year, when importing vehicles, it is proposed to allow 7-year-old cars and vans, 10-year-old lorries, and 3-year-old electric vehicles, and to create a system to assess the mileage of vehicles.
He said that importers have requested a discussion from the Presidential Secretariat to discuss technical issues related to vehicle imports, and that these main proposals will be presented to the government from their side.