Sri Lanka, Feb. 6 -- The Advocata Institute yesterday said that any move by the Government to revive or accommodate vehicle permit concessions for a select group of retired senior public officials would undermine governance credibility, weaken public trust, and dilute Sri Lanka's economic reform effort.

In a statement, the economic policy think tank said that according to remarks made in Parliament, 1,900 permits have already been issued under this concessional scheme for senior officials, with 563 permits issued in 2025 alone. "Meanwhile, ordinary citizens endure an extended vehicle import ban and some of the highest effective taxes on personal transport vehicles in the world," Advocata said.

Its statement is as follows:

During the p...