Sri Lanka, Jan. 20 -- The government has collected a total income of Rs. 904 billion from vehicle imports, more than double the initially projected target of Rs. 441 billion, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera told Parliament today (20).

The disclosure was made in response to a question raised by Member of Parliament Rohitha Abeygunawardena, who also inquired about the application of a 3% tax on clearing imported vehicles from Customs within 90 days. He noted that the tax can increase to around 45% over five months, potentially passing additional costs onto consumers.

Deputy Minister Jayaweera explained that the surcharge is levied on importers at the time of vehicle importation, aiming to retain foreign exchang...