The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law
Hon. Lakmali Hemachandra rejected claims that the Government is discouraging electric vehicles or renewable energy, stating that policy decisions must account for issues such as EV battery disposal and environmental impacts. She clarified that expected revenue from vehicle imports is around Rs. 400 billion, not Rs. 750 billion, and said COPF data and first-quarter results indicate targets are being met. She described the measure as aimed solely at increasing state revenue.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.
¶ 02 Therefore, stop spreading the wrong idea that the Government is discouraging EVs or renewables. No policy should be viewed one‑dimensionally. There are multiple aspects. Some Members noted issues such as EV battery disposal and environmental impacts. The Government has considered these as well.
¶ 03 Finally, a correction: some Members said the Government expects Rs. 750 billion from vehicle imports. That is entirely incorrect. We expect around Rs. 400 billion. At COPF, officials presented data clearly. We are on track to achieve it with the ongoing level of imports. In the first quarter, revenue targets were met. So spreading wrong figures is irresponsible.
¶ 04 We are not discouraging EV usage. This is solely a measure to increase state revenue.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 20 May 2025 ·No. 1749010823009957 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 May 2025. No. 1749010823009957. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/25936