EVs Taxed at 100-200%, Petrol Cars Up to 400% — Is the Green Tax Fair?

Sri Lanka's new 'Green Tax' system locks in a big gap between fuel types: electric vehicles face combined duties of roughly 100-200%, while a petrol or diesel car of similar value can be taxed at 300-400%. The government's case is that this pushes the country toward cleaner transport and cuts the fuel import bill faster than any awareness campaign ever could. Critics say it mostly helps people who can already afford an EV's upfront price, home charging, and battery-replacement risk, while everyone else pays full freight. Supporters argue someone has to go first, and tax relief is the only thing that ever gets adoption moving — look at how slowly things moved without it. Opponents point out a three-wheeler driver or a family buying a 10-year-old Alto gets none of that relief, and still pays heavily for a car they just need to get to work, so the gap reads less like climate policy and more like a tax burden shifted onto people who'll never own an EV. Is this gap justified policy, or unfair to the vast majority still driving petrol and diesel? If you've actually priced an EV against a comparable petrol car under the current rates, share your numbers. මේ 'ග්‍රීන් ටැක්ස්' එක සාධාරණද, නැත්නම් සාමාන්‍ය වාහන හිමියන්ට පිට ගහනවද?