Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Mujibur Rahman says that there is a discrepancy in taxes when importing BYD vehicles into Sri Lanka.
Addressing Parliament, he said that there is a serious suspicion that a racket has been carried out to levy less tax and then release the latest BYD vehicles into the country.
“A brand new vehicle called BYD comes into the country. The company that imports that vehicle called BYD imports a vehicle called ATTO 3. It is stated on the imported vehicle that it has 100 kilowatts. That brand new 100 kilowatt vehicle is taxed at 5.5 million. Next comes a used BYD ATTO 3 vehicle. That used vehicle is taxed at 10 million.
But the problem with that is that that used vehicle is registered as 150 kilowatts. Then the brand new vehicle is registered as 100 kilowatts. When that brand new vehicle is taxed at 5.5 million, when that used vehicle is taxed at 10 million, there is a deficit of 4.5 million in taxes.
We do not know whether the main company that imports those vehicles has any connection with the government. Just like that container went out, this one too is taxed at this low rate. “Why don’t we put it out?
Because when we went to the BYD website and looked, it says the BYD ATTO 3 vehicle is 150 kilowatts. There is no 100 kilowatt vehicle. But the brand new vehicle that is being exported from the port is 100 kilowatts, and the tax is 55 lakhs. The reconditioned vehicle is 150 kilowatts, and the tax is 100 lakhs. So how can that happen? There is no way that can happen,” he said.