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One of the lingering questions to Sri Lanka’s public sector right now than whether the duty-free vehicle permit scheme will ever come back. Into this long-running debate, dropped a card bearing the News 1st logo, quoting Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa as saying the 2027 budget would let doctors import a duty-free vehicle on their old permits. We set out to verify it. Here is what we found.
Social Media Posts
Because this is something doctors and other public servants have waited for years, the post spread rapidly.
Fact-Check:
We first examined the statements Minister Nalinda Jayatissa had made to the media over the preceding days and found no such remark among them. Moreover, the 2027 budget has not yet been presented to Parliament, and no minister has issued any official statement on its proposals. Budget proposals are presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Finance Minister.
The Background of the Photograph
The photograph used in the post was taken in late June at the opening of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory established at Kalubowila Teaching Hospital, an event at which no statement about the budget or vehicle permits was made.
News1st Has Not Reported Any Such Story
The post was designed to mimic Sirasa News1st’s official format. We confirmed that no such story appears on the News1st official website or Facebook page, and News 1st itself confirmed the channel had reported no such story.
This same tactic, fabricating a statement attributed to Minister Nalinda under the News1st logo, has been seen before, available here.
Minister Nalinda Jayatissa
We contacted Minister Nalinda Jayatissa directly about the circulating posts. He said these posts are entirely false and that he had never made any such statement.
The Actual Status of the Vehicle Permit Scheme
The current government’s official position remains that the permit system will not be reinstated. Presenting the 2026 budget proposals in Parliament, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated clearly that no permits would be issued and that the country’s prevailing “permit culture” must end. Details are available here.
According to Treasury sources, the issuance of permits to roughly 23,000 currently eligible officials remain suspended, even as more officials qualify each year. This decision is reported to be linked to the IMF’s mandated foreign reserve target of US$7 billion. Further details here.
Permits Issued Since 2020
| Year | Number of permits issued |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 5,373 |
| 2021 | 2,972 |
| 2022 | 3,340 |
| 2023 | 5,718 |
| 2024 | 6,062 |
| 2025 (mid-year) | 2,043 |
| Total (2020-2025) | 25,508 |
Source: Ministry of Finance data. Each permit can carry a tax concession worth up to Rs. 3.6 million, and the Ministry has previously stated that revenue foregone through permits issued since 2010 exceeds Rs. 143 billion.
The Position of Medical Professional Unions
Several professional unions, including the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) and the Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association (SLASA), have for years demanded the scheme’s reinstatement. Their central argument is that, absent any salary increase, it functioned as a non-cash incentive and helped prevent specialist doctors from migrating.
In some instances, however, medical professionals themselves have suggested such permits would be unnecessary if adequate transport and parking facilities were provided instead, reflecting the absence of a unified position and marking this as a genuinely contested issue.
Government Medical Officers’ Association
We contacted the GMOA for clarification. Its media spokesperson, Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, said the posts circulating on social media are false. He confirmed the GMOA had recently met Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, but that no statement whatsoever was made about providing doctors with duty-free vehicles.
The GMOA maintains that offering doctors at least a partial tax concession, a 30% duty reduction, is essential as a non-salary incentive to retain them in the government hospital system. Dr. Wijesinghe added that a vehicle, for doctors, is not a status symbol but an essential operational necessity for on-call emergency services.
What Can Be Expected Going Forward
- Since the 2027 budget has not yet been presented, no official confirmation exists regarding its proposals. Budgets are typically presented towards the end of the year.
- The Treasury’s Fiscal Strategy Statement 2027, issued under Section 11 of the Public Finance Management Act No. 44 of 2024, likewise makes no mention of reinstating the permit scheme.
- The impact of vehicle imports on foreign reserves remains a key factor. Central Bank data show that in the first eight months of 2025 alone, roughly US$918 million was spent on vehicle imports, with August alone recording a record of US$249 million.
- Any reinstatement of the permit scheme would therefore need to align with the IMF programme’s reserve targets and fiscal consolidation conditions.
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Conclusion
The post bearing the News 1st logo, claiming Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the 2027 budget would permit duty-free vehicle imports for doctors under their old vehicle permits, is fabricated. The Minister confirmed to us that he made no such statement, News1st has reported no such story, and the Government Medical Officers’ Association likewise confirmed the claim is false.
The 2027 budget has not yet been presented, and the current government’s stated position remains that the vehicle permit scheme will not be reinstated. We rate the claim as false.
Title: The Fake Statement on Doctors’ Duty-Free Vehicle Permits
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo Team
Result: False
