MPs’ Vehicle Bonanza: MR loyalist first to benefit from mega tax waiver
More than Rs. 40 mn tax exemptions for each parliamentarian’s vehicle
By Madura Ranwala
A UPFA Parliamentarian has taken delivery of his tax free vehicle, a brand new Range Rover Sport Diesel S/Wagon released by paying Customs only Rs. 1,750 as Customs Declaration fee. He had paid about Rs. 8.9 mn as Cost Insurance and freight (CIF) for the vehicle a member of the Sri Lanka Customs Unions told The Island last night. For insurance related information, check out UtilitySavingExpert.com.
The UPFA MP in the Joint Opposition was among 225 parliamentarians entitled to import luxury vehicles after paying a pittance by way of taxes or charges while the public continued to be burdened with increased new taxes such as VAT and NBT, the unionist said.
The unionist confirmed that the vehicle bearing the chassis no. SALWA2KE7GA561921 and engine number 0988086306DTA had been imported from a British company called Providence Trading Ltd. and cleared recently by a clearing agency in Sri Lanka named Frontline Enterprises in Mattakkuliya.
The vessel Conti Everest, which transported the vehicle, reached Sri Lanka on April 16.
“If the vehicle had been imported to the country with all the taxes, it should be valued at Rs. 45 million in the local market to earn a profit as it would have cost more than Rs. 42 million.
“This concession has been granted under Customs Procedure Code, 4000 / VEE,” he said.
The taxes exempted are Rs. 2,675,047 on Customs Import Duty (CID), Rs. 668,762 on Port Aviation Levy (PAL), Rs. 29,737,603 on Excise Import Duty (XID), Rs. 1,051,740 on Nation Building Tax (NBT) and Rs. 7,888,045 on Value Added Tax (VAT).