Aug 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) says that the doctors in the government service will initiate trade union action if the government will not take action to solve their transport problems.

The doctors say that the duty slash provided to the selected public servants to import vehicles is restricted only for brand new vehicles and seek the permission to import reconditioned vehicles through this permit. Further, the doctors seek official transport to the workplace or an increase to the fuel allowance since the fuel cost has increased.

Meanwhile the government has released controversial statistics on the vehicles imported through duty slashes. So far 1,200 applications for vehicles have been processed in a scheme to give 25,000 duty slashed vehicles to senior government workers and according to the applications processed so far 200 Mitsubishi Montero luxury sports utility vehicles (SUV), 800 sub compact cars including Mitsubishi Lancers and 200 smaller Suzuki cars are to be imported. Most of the 200 luxury SUVs have been ordered by doctors, says the Ministry of Finance.

The majority of Sri Lanka’s doctors is engaged in private practice and earns several-folds of their government salary through it.