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MPs get exempted from duty-free car import ban
The budget proposal to scrap the duty-free-vehicle-import-permit system is to be relaxed with MPs being given some concessions, the Government has decided. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gayantha Karunatillake told the Sunday Times MPs would be given vehicles on concessionary terms which would be finalised next week.
He said it was a parliamentary privilege to provide MPs with vehicles as they required transport to efficiently carry out their duties.Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the proposals under consideration were to give vehicles to MPs with the option of buying or returning them at the end of the MPs’ term. Another proposal was to give a substantial transport allowance to MPs.
Under the duty free permit system, an MP was entitled to a permit every five years. Public officials also were entitled to permits every five years and, in addition, senior government officials, on retirement, were entitled to a 100 percent tax free vehicle.
The review of the budget proposal came as the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) and the Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association (SLASA) strongly protested the withdrawal of the duty free permit system for public officials.
SLASA Secretary Rohana de Silva said the association would meet tomorrow to decide on protest action. He indicated that though the SLASA usually did not resort to trade union action, it might be forced to do so this time.
He said the campaign was being backed by 15 other unions which represented the higher strata in the public service.The secretary said if one of the reasons to scrap the system was abuse, the Government should prevent the abuse, instead of scrapping the system,” he said.
GMOA’s Secretary Nalinda Herath said the central committee had approved a decision to call for a general strike, if the Government did not restore the duty-free vehicle facility. However, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that scrapping the permit system for vehicles would help the Government to save more than Rs. 80 billion annually