CMTA Wants to Scrap the 15% Used-Car Tax Break That Cost Rs 120bn — Agree?

Every used vehicle imported into Sri Lanka gets a flat 15% discount on its CIF value before duty is worked out, no matter how old the actual import really is. The Ceylon Motor Traders' Association says this loophole cost the Treasury roughly Rs 40 billion in 2025 and has already hit about Rs 120 billion by September this year, and is pushing the Government to scrap it in Budget 2027. Used-car importers argue the concession simply reflects real depreciation and keeps reconditioned vehicles within reach of ordinary buyers who can't afford brand-new. Critics, including CMTA itself, say it's a blanket discount that barely tracks actual vehicle age, mostly benefits traders who structure paperwork around it, and starves the state of revenue it badly needs. If it's axed, reconditioned prices could jump while brand-new imports stay exactly where they are. Would losing this 15% break change what you'd actually buy — reconditioned Japanese or a brand-new unit at a similar final price once duty resets? Share your own CIF and duty numbers if you've cleared a vehicle through customs recently. රුපියල් බිලියන 120ක බදු අහිමි වීමක් කියනවා — මේ සහනය අයින් කළොත් ඔබේ වාහනයේ මිල කොයිතරම් වැඩි වේවිද?