Renaissance - Car trouble

Previously, there was a lot of opposition to the vehicle permits given to MPs. However, the Gotabaya government that came in 2019 stopped issuing permits. Even Ranil did not give them to MPs for 2 years except by showing them coins. Accordingly, no matter how much he criticized the privileges of the MPs in the 2019-2024 Parliament, the people of the country did not pay for the vehicle permits for the MPs in that Parliament. That Parliament came with 225 corrupt politicians who were interested in money, vehicles, and cars.

Then in 2024, a Parliament came that was corrupt, not interested in money, and worked voluntarily without even taking a salary. The real problem is that this Parliament needs to go beyond permits and bring its own vehicles. When MPs who came to serve the public without getting paid are given vehicles with different mileages, it hurts, not us, says Vijitha Herath.

Earlier, when the permit was given, the MP bought the vehicle with money. Now, we, the people, bear all those costs.

Let's calculate the cost to us like this,

2015 MP - Permit (100 lakhs)

2019 MP - 0

2024 MP - Vehicle itself (200 lakhs)

This is the way MPs who came to serve the public and perform honorary service without getting paid are asked to reduce the burden on the people. Now, to dilute this, they are telling a deadly story, saying that the vehicle must be returned at the end of 5 years ** but ** if the MP wishes ** they can also take the vehicle by paying ** the depreciated value **.

Let's just depreciate it at 15% per annum for 5 years

1 17,000,000

2 14,450,000

3 12,282,500

4 10,440,125

5 8,874,106

Then at the end of 5 years, the valuation is 88 lakhs. But the number of vehicles in Sri Lanka has never decreased, by 5 years, a vehicle bought for 20 lakhs will be worth 25 lakhs. The vehicle that is worth 25 lakhs in the market is given to that MP for 88 lakhs. Even if the MP buys it and sells it at the market value, he will make a profit of 162 lakhs!

How is the game?

Their real problem is that even though the permit is given, the MPs **now** do not have the money to pay the initial cost of buying a vehicle! That is why Vijitha Herath is suggesting an alternative idea to give these vehicles and buy them in 5 years.

But in the end, he ended up taking more money than he earned from the permit, and he bought and used a vehicle with public money while he was an MP. In fact, there were ignorant eight-passers before, they don't even know how to play a game smartly, they play a game where they cover all 76 years of Arias in 5 years!

I am saying that after 5 years, the vehicle can be auctioned, and even if the MP wants, he cannot buy it from the auction. Because why would they give vehicles at a special price to those who have come to do an honorable service without receiving a salary?

(Himal Risago)