Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka who was also a onetime Environment Minister says that the duty increase on hybrid vehicles in the new government’s interim budget is due to a mistake.

The Minister has reportedly stated this while speaking to the Sri Lanka’s Foreign Correspondents’ Association.

During his tenure as Environment Minister, Champika Ranawaka worked with commitment towards encouraging solar and renewable energy promotion.

Though the Rajapaksa government had imposed huge taxes on the common people’s food items, the present government has imposed taxes from the rich through moves like the super gains tax, the Minister has said.

The new government has increased duties on hybrid vehicles and proposes to raise a revenue of nearly Rs. 07 billion through this.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Vehicle Importers’ Association head Indika Sampath Merinchige told www.adaderanabiz.lk that imposing higher duties on eco-friendly hybrid vehicles and discouraging their imports into Sri Lanka is not a good economic decision.

Countries in other parts of the world are by now moving towards hybrid and electric vehicles and there is a greater demand for hybrid vehicles since currently there are no re-charging facilities for electric vehicles in Sri Lanka, said Merinchige.