Importers want one 'unified' vehicle tax for Budget 2027 — fewer taxes, or just a rebrand?

The Ceylon Automobile Importers Association is lobbying the government to replace the current maze of import duty, excise, luxury tax, and surcharges with a single unified rate in Budget 2027, arguing the present system is so distorted that only a handful of models can even be imported profitably. They say simplifying it would let more affordable cars back onto showroom floors for the middle class who've been priced out since 2022. The case for: a single flat rate means no more guessing games, fewer loopholes for the politically connected, and dealers could finally plan stock without a tax surprise every few months. The case against: Customs has already blown past its 2026 revenue target on vehicle taxes alone, so why would the Treasury trade that cash cow for a "simpler" system that likely means lower collections, unless the government quietly keeps the total burden the same and just renames it. If you've registered a vehicle in the last year, did the tax layers actually make sense to you, or did your dealer just hand you a final number and a shrug? Would one flat rate change what you can afford, or is tax structure beside the point when down payments and leasing rates are the real wall? මෙම 'ඒකාබද්ධ බද්ධ' ක්‍රමයෙන් ඇත්තටම මිල අඩු වේවි කියලා විශ්වාස කරනවද?