News

Owners of small cars driven round the bend due to non-availability of tyres

Published

5 years ago

2021/03/28

by Suresh Perera

A shortage of automobile tyres in the market is driving motorists round the bend amidst complaints that dealers still holding stocks have inflated prices in the backdrop of existing import restrictions.

The worst affected are owners of small cars, many of whom derive an income by operating passenger taxi and affiliated services.

“We have no option but to ground our vehicles and be deprived of earnings to care for our families”, some passenger taxi services operators complained.

There is also the risk of facing legal action as the traffic police are now examining tyres of passenger vehicles on the roads following the bus accident at Passara, they noted.

Moreover, in the case of an accident, there is every possibility that insurance claims will be dishonored in case the tyres are found worn out, they further said.

The market is not wholly dependent on locally manufactured products, as the import restrictions apply only to radial tyres for rim sizes 12 and 13, and for motorcycle and three-wheeler tyres, says Ravi Dadlani, Managing Director, CEAT Kelani Holdings, a key player in the local tyre industry.

“That’s the crux of the matter. Tyres for rim sizes 12 and 13 are used in small cars, which are aplenty in the country not only for private use but also in the taxi services business, the operators pointed out.

“How can we run hires with worn out tyres and endanger the lives of passengers especially on wet days?”, they asked.

There is no restriction on the import of all other tyre types and sizes, including those for trucks and buses, Dadlani said.

With regard to ‘import restricted sizes’ – cars rim sizes 12 and 13, motorcycles and three-wheelers, CEAT produces 31,800 car Radial tyres in 12 & 13 sizes per month (whereas the market demand for these sizes is 32,000) meeting 100% of the market requirement, he explained.

If that was so, where have all the tyres pumped into the market gone?, the operators queried. “With dealers claiming they have not received fresh stocks, we have been going around in circles to find the right (tyre) sizes”.

Even refurbished tyres are being now being sold for fancy prices due to the shortage. Unlike earlier, there are no small tyres dumped on roadsides now because everything is being refurbished as prices are good due to the demand, they asserted.

“They wanted Rs. 5,000 for a size 13 refurbished tyre with no guarantee on performance. Perhaps, road accidents have shot up because some motorists use them as there’s no option”, a taxi service driver remarked.

It’s a risk no doubt, but some people prefer to take the challenge rather than keep their vehicles grounded and go hungry, he said.

CEAT also produces 100% of the requirement for three-wheeler tyres and 50% of the requirement for motorcycle tyres, the Managing Director said.

“Together with other local manufacturers of three-wheeler and motorcycle tyres, we can meet 150% of Sri Lanka’s demand in these categories”, he assured.

“People who talk of statistics should go around and see for themselves the reality of the situation on the ground”, the operators suggested.

Those who are holding stocks are selling them at exorbitant prices, they claimed.

The dealers are provided a price list covering all sizes and types of tyres by each manufacturer and are entitled to discounts of up to, or more than 30%. They are expected to pass on a substantial discount to the end customer based on the purchase terms, and to our knowledge the majority of genuine establishments still do so, Dadlani said.

There may be a price list, but that does not necessarily mean it happens that way. The shortage in the market has seen the emergence of brokers and middlemen who can procure tyres for customers at fancy prices, the operators further asserted.

Those who sit in comfort and dish out figures should do a round and find out what’s happening in the marketplace. They will then be able to come to terms with reality, they said.

Dealers say that when they order 100 tyres, for example, they receive only 25 and these are sold in double quick time due to the demand, they added.

“Our supplies to each dealer are on the basis of an established demand pattern based on the size of the market served by each outlet. This has worked well over many years. However, some dealers are now arbitrarily demanding more tyres to build up a larger inventory and may complain if they do not receive the increased volumes they are ordering”, Dadlani pointed out.

“It is also possible that a particular tyre size may not be available on the day it is ordered, but given the production cycles we operate, that size will become available within that month. We are in touch with cab companies and have not received complaints of vehicle fleets being grounded due to lack of tyres”, he continued.

A tyre dealer in Colombo The Sunday Island spoke to said local brands were not available, but offered a size 14 Chinese product for Rs. 9,900 each. Another dealer said he has only Dunlop to fit rim sizes 13 and 14 and quoted Rs. 11,750 for each.

The Managing Director said that CEAT has the capacity to produce 100% of the car and van radial tyre requirements for rim sizes 12 and 13, and together with other local manufacturers, 150% of the requirement of motorcycle tyres and 150% of the requirement for three-wheeler tyres.

Asked whether CEAT increased prices after the import restrictions were enforced, he said the company reduced prices in December 2019 and kept them unchanged in 2020 and until January 2021. During this period, natural rubber prices in the world market increased by over 50%. As a result, CEAT revised prices by 11.8% in January 2021 purely to absorb the raw material cost/other costs increases.

Asked whether the temporary closure of the CEAT manufacturing plant due to some employees testing Covid-19 positive lead to a disruption in the supply chain and reflect on market availability of its products, Dadlani replied, “In line with the government mandated health and safety protocols and in the interest of employee safety, we suspended manufacturing for seven days in February this year. This did result in an unavoidable disruption of supplies, considering that we manufacture about 3,200 radial and motorcycle tyres per day. We however made up for the production loss through additional production on Sundays”.

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News

Govt. urged to take action against deputy minister

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/15

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ajith / Eranga

Allegation of doing business with state:

Civil society activist Oshala Herath has said that regardless of the political party one represents, all members of Parliament should abide by the law of the land. Herath said so when The Island sought his response to a report that he was planning to move court against Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, accused of holding the top positions at Omobio (Pvt.) and Eimsky Business Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd., at the time of the nominations, and took oaths as a National List MP of the NPP government.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the Minister of Digital Economy, in addition to being Minister of Defence and Finance.

Herath is the Chairman of Abhinawa Niwahal Peramuna. Herath, whose legal challenge to SJB MP Diana Gamage over her citizenship issue, led to her removal from Parliament by the Supreme Court on 08 May, last year. He said the latest case underscored the responsibility on the part of political parties to ensure transparency in the nomination process as well as in the finalisation of National List.

Herath pointed out that the court rulings on petitions filed by him against two serving MPs were pending. He moved court against Jaffna District Independent MP Ramanathan Archchuna for handing over nominations to contest the 2024 November parliamentary elections without resigning from his post as a government medical officer. He also moved court against Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Dr. Upali Pannilage, alleging that he had been an employee of the University of Ruhuna at the time he was declared an MP and subsequently appointed as a Cabinet Minister.

Our efforts to contact Deputy Minister Weeraratne were in vain. Our calls went unanswered.

Pointing out that there were many attorneys-at-law in the current Parliament, Herath emphasised the responsibility on their part to take up the issue. The Speaker should, on his own, inquire into such allegations in addition to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee stepping in, Herath said. Responding to another query, Herath said that such violations as well as cases of conflict of interests were far more serious than the recent controversy over NPP National List MP Asoka Ranwala’s educational qualifications.

SJB MP Ajith P. Perera told The Island that the Deputy Minister concerned admitted in Parliament that he had held top posts in the companies mentioned at the time he took oaths as an MP. Therefore, there couldn’t be any ambiguity with regard to his fault. Perera said that the conflict of interest issue involving NPPer was far more serious.

Referring to the issue at hand that had been first raised by SJB lawmaker Amila Prasad Siriwardena in Parliament during committee stage of the debate on the 2026 Budget, Attorney-at-Law Perera said that Weeraratne’s companies were engaged in mega business deals with the government. Declaring that they had secured contracts for government projects since 2019, Perera said that one of the companies Weeraratne was involved in had recently won a major contract from the incumbent government regarding the electronic ticketing system.

Kalutara District MP called for a comprehensive inquiry into the issue as the NPP had come to power, accusing all other political parties of waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagement of state funds. MP Perera queried whether the current dispensation followed proper procedures in selecting Weeraratne’s company for the ticketing project

Both Herath and Perera urged the JVP and NPP to look into what they called the Weeraratne affair.

Over the years, several MPs had been disqualified to hold parliamentary seats. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne is one of them. When the Court of Appeal dismissed Dr. Senaratne from Parliament for being a supplier to the government, Ranil Wickremesinghe brought him back to Parliament, through the National List.

MP Perera said that since the last parliamentary election, the NPP had been embroiled in many controversies, including the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port, in January this year, followed by signing of seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)/agreements with India in April.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

India sends stock of life-saving medicines

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/15

Sahan Weerasooriya

Misri with Colonne

The government has appealed to India for immediate help to overcome the serious shortage of life-saving drugs and injections.

The Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi confirmed the appeal made by the government. The following is the text of statement issued by the Sri Lankan mission in New Delhi: “The Foreign Secretary of India, Vikram Misri, over the weekend handed over a consignment of urgently required essential medicines to Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, Mahishini Colonne, in New Delhi. The assistance, extended in response to a request from the Government of Sri Lanka, forms part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, India’s humanitarian mission supporting Sri Lanka’s relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts following the devastating Cyclone Ditwah.

The consignment consists of over 400 boxes of life-saving medicines and injections, which will be airlifted to Colombo by an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft, alongside further additional relief assistance from India.

Deputy Indian High Commissioner Pandey shaking hands with Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa

Foreign Secretary Misri reiterated the condolences of the Government and people of India for the tragic loss of lives and the extensive damage to infrastructure caused by the Cyclone. He reaffirmed India’s steadfast commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s immediate humanitarian needs as well as rebuilding and reconstruction efforts. He also highlighted India’s readiness to work with Sri Lanka on a mix of initiatives tailored to the needs of affected communities.

High Commissioner Colonne conveyed the sincere appreciation of the President, Government, and people of Sri Lanka for India’s timely, continuous, and sustained support, and handed over to the Foreign Secretary, a letter of gratitude from the President of Sri Lanka to the Prime Minister of India.

Describing the extensive nature of the damage, the High Commissioner appreciated the ongoing and consistent engagement of the Indian High Commission in Colombo, in collaboration with government officials and local authorities in coordinating relief, rescue, and recovery efforts.

SLAF personnel unloading medicine from IAF transport plane

The High Commissioner also requested India’s support in sharing its expertise and leadership in enhancing disaster-response capabilities and disaster-resilience frameworks, especially lessons from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, both globally recognized for their advanced disaster resilience frameworks. Apart from this support that is under discussion, the New Delhi-based Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) has also been requested to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka to explore avenues for strengthening Sri Lanka’s disaster resilient infrastructure capacities. Noting the importance of having an effective and real-time warning system, efforts are being made to deploy a team to explore the establishment of an early warning system that would provide real-time geo-targeted alerts to citizens.

The High Commissioner reiterated Sri Lanka’s gratitude to the Government and people of India for their continued solidarity under Operational Sagar Bandhu, reaffirming the strength of the longstanding partnership between the two nations.”

News

George Keyt Foundation contributes to national disaster relief efforts

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/15

Sahan Weerasooriya

(L-R): The donation was handed to Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya by Professor Jagath Weerasinghe (Trustee), Suresh Dominic (Treasurer), Malaka Talwatte (Chairman) and Abbas Esufally (Trustee) of the George Keyt Foundation.

The George Keyt Foundation (GKF) has extended meaningful support to the Government of Sri Lanka’s disaster relief efforts following the severe devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The text of the press release issued by the GKF: “In 2023, the Foundation undertook its first major fundraiser in recent years by issuing 30 numbered limited edition prints of Kangodi Rangi, a painting by George Keyt entrusted to the Foundation. Twenty-eight prints were acquired by donors to support charitable causes, while another was gifted to the President’s collection. Print Number 1 of 30 was retained to support the Foundation’s long-term priorities.

In light of the unprecedented impact of Cyclone Ditwah and the urgent national need for disaster assistance, the trustees unanimously resolved to seek a donor for Print Number 1 of 30, with clear disclosure that the proceeds would be channeled directly to the Government’s disaster relief programme. This appeal received an immediate response, resulting in a private donation of Rs. 3 million.

The contribution was formally handed over to Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya for utilisation in the Government’s ongoing relief and recovery efforts.

The George Keyt Foundation is honoured to support the people of Sri Lanka at this critical moment and reaffirms its commitment to serving national needs while preserving and promoting the artistic legacy of George Keyt.