The tax free vehicle permit provided to government servants can be transferred to another even in the future and the government has not taken any decision to change this procedure, says the Finance Minister.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that media reports to the effect that the government is preparing a circular to prevent these vehicle permits provided to government servants to purchase a vehicle tax free, to be transferred to another party for four years is false.

“We will not give the government sector employees anything from one hand and take it away from the other,” said Minister Ravi Karunanayake while expressing his views on this issue.

However, he added that the government has responded only to the appeal not to charge the current tax imposed through the interim budget on the vehicles for government sector employees’ ordered on permits to which Letters of Credit have been opened before 29 January 2015.

The government has announced a condition that if the tax increases on these vehicles is to be avoided then these vehicles cannot be transferred to any other party for four years, said the Finance Minister.

He pointed out that this applies only to vehicles for which Letters of Credit have been opened before 29 January 2015.