Sri Lankan migrant workers who remitted foreign exchange through official channels from May 1 to December 31, 2022 have been allowed to import an electric vehicle through a permit granted by the government from yesterday.
They are allowed to import an electric vehicle with CFI value equivalent to half of the amount of currency sent to the country.
He said that the taxes to be paid to the government had to be paid in foreign currencies when importing electric vehicles.
Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara yesterday said he succeeded in submitting a Cabinet paper allowing Sri Lankan migrant workers to import electric vehicles based on the volume of foreign exchange, sent by them to the country through the bank system.
He said that he took this decision with an objective of encouraging the members of the expatriate community to remit their foreign exchange to the country through official channels The Minister said that approval was granted for the import of vehicles after Cabinet approved the proposal.They are allowed to import an electric vehicle with CFI value equivalent to the half of the amount of money sent to the country.
He said that the taxes to be paid to the government had to be paid in foreign currencies when importing electric vehicles. “Our goal was to obtain a significant amount of foreign exchange for the country. We were able to achieve that goal”, the Minister said.
Minister Nanayakkara added that necessary steps have been taken to release the vehicles of expatriate workers who are entitled to this privilege through the Customs.
“The expatriate workers accepted this opportunity very well. We have received many positive responses from them,”he said. By the end of the first quarter of last year, foreign remittances were US$ 225 million per month. “But by the last month of the year, we were able to increase the foreign remittances to US$475 million”, he said.
He said that the government managed to raise the foreign exchange because the foreign workers sent money to the country through proper channels.
The Minister urged expatriate workers again to send their money to Sri Lanka through legal channels. “We have been working to provide many other benefits to workers who send money through legal channels, such as vehicle import permits”, he said. Meanwhile Overland Automobile Private Limited Managing Director Daham Perera the authorised representative of the Sri Lankan migrant workers who imported the electric vehicles said expatriate workers who remit foreign currencies to the country through official channels are eligible to claim for vehicle permits which is equivalent to 50 per cent of their remittances.
Perera said that his company has imported vehicles based on the permits granted to expatriate workers under this scheme. “Three vehicles ordered under this scheme arrived in the country yesterday. More than 35 vehicles have been shipped and they will arrive in Colombo very soon, he said. He added that the price of vehicle will start from Rs.12.5 million.