President of the Vehicle Importers’ Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL), Prasad Manage, says that vehicle importers have encountered difficulties due to the QR code–based fuel quota system introduced by the government for fuel distribution.

Speaking at a media briefing today (16), he stated that vehicle importers are facing challenges in obtaining fuel for imported vehicles under the current system and emphasized the need for an appropriate arrangement to address the issue.

He explained that vehicles arriving at the Hambantota Port cannot be transported to Colombo due to the lack of fuel and expressed the association’s readiness to hold discussions with the government to formulate a viable solution.

He noted that approximately 100 to 150 vehicles are imported into the country each month and stressed the need to introduce a special QR code–based system or a dedicated fuel quota to facilitate fuel supply for such vehicles.

“Our vehicles arrive at Hambantota, but they do not contain sufficient fuel for transport. The QR code-based system has created complications regarding how we obtain fuel for these unregistered vehicles,” Manage said.

“Sometimes, even if a vehicle in a showroom runs out of petrol, how do we obtain fuel for it? We would like to request the government to introduce some form of QR code-based system for unregistered vehicles or a fuel quota linked to our CC number. One of our dealers usually imports between 100 and 150 vehicles, and it is not possible to refuel all of them using our personal QR codes,” he added.

He further noted that the issue could become a significant problem for the government in the future, pointing out that the vehicle import sector is one of the most profitable sources of tax revenue for the country.

He therefore urged the government to consider the matter and stated that vehicle importers are willing to hold discussions to reach an appropriate solution.