Courtesy Island

Thousands of people who voted for this “Yahapalanaya” government are thoroughly disappointed with some of its actions. Inability to prosecute those who are supposed to have committed serious financial irregularities, the Avant Guarde Incident, gross nepotism, unabated corruption in all public institutions and unsolved problems in the health and education sectors, crime and child abuse remain serious issues affecting the general public

The latest crime that has affected mainly the middle class, majority of who voted this government into power is the sudden rise in the prices of electric vehicles where the tax has gone up from 5% to 50%. Several private individuals who imported electric cars are now left in the lurch unable to pay the exorbitant taxes announced. Most of them have imported these cars as it was logically anticipated that they are eco-friendly and cheaper to run. In fact the government itself announced that there would be electricity terminals all over the country to get these vehicles charged. Some people had to borrow money from the banks to open the Letters of Credit (LCs) and are in a quandary as to how to clear these vehicles.

The writer has a nagging suspicion that this too is an act of corruption committed by the big time car importers and certain ministers. It was mentioned previously that the car importers met the Minister of Finance and he may have surreptitiously indicated to them in private that the tax on those cars would go up after the budget since no official announcement was made. The big car operators made use of this opportunity and imported thousands of these vehicles in anticipation of the price rise. The writer sensing such an event was unable to obtain an electric car from any of these importers at a reasonable price. They sighted the reason that after the budget the prices may change and to pacify me said that it may even come down! They have collectively agreed on a common moratorium to withhold sale of these cars. The silence of the big time importers on this issue is deafening! Some of them issue feeble statements that there will not be people who could afford these vehicles at such exorbitant prices. However these statements have been issued even previously and everyone who needed a car some how went for it. The tragedy of all these is that most of the educated civil society members and academics who relentlessly campaigned for the election of the present government are certainly an unhappy lot.

It has not affected the very rich and even the very poor. The rich will continue the comforts of their Mercedes and BMWs where as for the poor the only form of transport is the bus.

As an affected motorist I feel there is nothing that we could do since the government is adamant and does not appear to relent. I gather that there are several ships anchored in the Hambantota and Colombo harbours where not a single vehicle has been cleared and the importers are impatiently waiting for the government to do something about it.

An affected motorist