Independent presidential candidate and former minister Roshan Ranasinghe announced that his manifesto will include plans to reduce vehicle costs by at least 80% from their current prices.
During a media briefing, Ranasinghe criticized other candidates’ manifestos, calling them mere documents with no feasibility.
He highlighted the disparity between lawmakers, who enjoy taxpayer-funded vehicles, and ordinary citizens who cannot afford them. “None of the presidential candidates have proposed a feasible solution for importing vehicles,” he said.
Ranasinghe explained that a 2010 Toyota Prius, currently priced around Rs. 20 million due to tax policies, could be imported for Rs. 2.2 million. Similarly, a 2010 Aqua, which costs Rs. 10 million, could be imported for Rs. 1.7 million, he said.
Detailed plans for reducing vehicle import costs will be revealed under the economic plans in his election manifesto, Ranasinghe said.
Acknowledging the importance of vehicles, Ranasinghe said that local manufacturing of essentials like pharmaceuticals, need to be boosted, which significantly impact foreign exchange reserves.
“If we open the market for some of these vehicle models, we could reduce our dollar expenditure by at least 20%, saving foreign exchange and opening up the economy for progress,” he said. (Newswire)
