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As electric vehicle (EV) imports to the country have increased in recent months, many have been curious about viral reports claiming that the government has decided to regulate the import of EVs. However, our investigation found that such a decision had not been made.
Social Media Posts:
A social media post circulated with the description stating that, although the government has no plans to regulate the import of electric vehicles (EVs) based on brand, the government is considering imposing capacity-based restrictions. The post further stated that, according to the statement made by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, although a large number of new electric vehicle brands are imported to the country, they do not intend to regulate this influx. He has further stated that the only limit they are imposing is based on the engine capacity of electric vehicles.
A website article was written about this post, which is as follows.
We investigated the accuracy of this post.
Fact Check :
First, we reviewed mainstream media reports and didn’t find any news reports or a statement by Minister Prasanna Gunasena on the decision regarding restrictions based on the engine capacity of electric vehicles.
Furthermore, such news wasn’t reported on either the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation’s website or Facebook account.
We also inquired with the Media Secretary of Minister Prasanna Gunasena, and he mentioned that these statements are entirely false, and that the minister hasn’t made such a statement. He further stated that there is no decision to impose restrictions based on the engine capacity of electric vehicles.
Ban on the import of cars and electric vehicles
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake issued a gazette notification lifting the ban on the import of automobiles, electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles from February 1, 2025.
Accordingly, the Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 01 of 2025, published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2421/04 dated 27 January 2025, states that this ban is lifted without prejudice to the validity of any action taken thereunder.
Through this, the ban on several categories of vehicles, including cabs, three-wheelers, motorcycles, bicycles and special-purpose vehicles, was lifted. Accordingly, a motor vehicle importer registered under the Department of Motor Traffic is permitted to import motor vehicles classified under the regulations mentioned in the Gazette for commercial purposes.
However, Deputy Minister of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma stated in the parliament on May 21st that the tax rate on electric vehicles has been increased from 15% to 30%.
He stated that by imposing a minimum tax limit on electric vehicles, the potential pressure on the dollar caused by the increased import of electric vehicles increases, and so they imposed a tax increase.
We also inquired with several electric vehicle importers to confirm whether the government has decided to restrict the import of electric vehicles based on their engine capacity. They confirmed that the government hasn’t issued any restrictions.
Conclusion
The investigation confirms that the government has not made any decision to regulate electric vehicle (EV) imports based on a particular brand, nor has it imposed restrictions based on engine capacity as falsely claimed in social media posts. Official sources, including the Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Transport, have denied these statements.
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Title:Viral Claims of Government Deciding to Regulate Electric Vehicle Imports are FALSE!
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo TeamResult: Misleading
