State Minister of Economic Development and Labour, Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, revealed in Parliament that 25,508 duty-free vehicle permits have been issued to public officials following the suspension of vehicle imports to the country.
As of June 30, 2025, these permits had been distributed, but no decision has been made yet regarding the importation of vehicles under these permits, the State Minister stated, adding that the imports remain temporarily suspended.
Responding to an oral question raised by Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, Minister Fernando acknowledged the concerns and said that the permits currently hold no functional value unless a new mechanism is introduced.
MP Dassanayake urged the government to introduce a concessionary mechanism allowing officials holding these permits to import vehicles by paying a monthly fee of Rs. 50,000, or risk rendering these permits “worthless scrap paper.” He also proposed that the facility be extended in Sri Lankan Rupees rather than in US dollars to make it accessible.
In reply, Minister Fernando noted that the government is not ready to act based solely on opposition proposals, emphasizing that fiscal decisions must be taken cautiously, especially in a fragile economic environment.
He further disclosed that, out of the total, only 2,043 permits were issued in 2025, while in previous years the figures were as follows: 5,373 permits in 2020, 2,972 in 2021, 3,340 in 2022, 5,718 in 2023, and 6,062 in 2024.
