Amidst the pandemic a Prado fortune for MPs

The government has proposed to import 225 Toyota Land Crusher Prado jeeps for parliamentarians in the wake of the economic crisis caused by the Covid pandemic. Government sources told Lankasara today that the proposal made by the government to import 225 jeeps and provide instead of offering a vehicle import duty-free licenses, as usual, will be submitted to the Cabinet today. The proposal has been submitted to the Cabinet Ministers and steps have been taken to import 400 vehicles including 228 Toyota Land Crusher jeeps, a reliable source told Lankasara.
Lankasara first revealed on May 14 that preliminary work is underway to import 225 jeeps ambulances, water bowsers and double cabs during the current state of emergency. However, according to the information received so far, it has been proposed to import 227 Toyota Land Crusher jeeps with an engine capacity of 2755 and a jeep with an engine capacity of 4460.
The company estimates that the total number of jeeps to be imported through Toyota Lanka is close to Rs. 2.43 Billion.
It is reported that these vehicles will be imported under a leased facility of Rs. 3.7 billion obtained from the Bank of Ceylon and the payment of the relevant lease instalments has been handed over to the Secretary to the Treasury. According to the sources, the government is preparing to import these vehicles on the basis of the 180 – day future loan openings currently in effect and the Bank of Ceylon has agreed to offer an annual interest rate of 7.5% for the lease.
Among the vehicles, they are importing are 50 Toyota Hiace ambulances at an estimated cost of Rs. 390 million. Also, Rs. 460 million has been estimated for 52 Hino water bowsers and Rs. 440 million has been estimated for 52 Toyota Hilux double cabs. It is estimated that all these vehicles will cost Rs. 3.7 billion.