Sri Lanka's Micro Exports Cars to Nepal

30th September 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Harshini Perera

Micro Cars Limited will be exporting ten cars, of the Micro MX7 model as an initial shipment to Nepal. There will be 150 cars in line with the first year commitment from Micro to Nepal which will include Micro cars as well as mini vans in the future.

The cars are sold in Nepal with the franchise of a Nepal distributor who is financially strong, well-informed about the car market and who can deliver a good after service facility, Micro Cars Limited Chairman/CEO Dr Lawrence Perera said at the shipment of cars to Nepal yesterday.

He said the Micro MX7 will be exported at US $10,000 without export taxes which is generally priced at Rs 2.2 million in Sri Lanka.

The car will be priced at Rs 2.3 million in Nepal. The company uses 40 to 50 percent import component in vehicle manufacturing while 35 percent is from the local component. It encourages the local repairers and manufacturers.

“We have come to a proposal with the Transport Ministry to test ten Micro buses to be used in the public transportation system as an initial test.

“The car market in Sri Lanka is around 20,000 a year but we as a local company could only take 10 percent of the market share,” he said.

“We have a larger market share of 80 percent in the SUV jeep segment while the small car segment is 10 to 12 percent and 15 percent for medium cars. The best selling vehicle is SUVs and four new models will be launched in the future,” Dr Perera said.

Image: Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa inspecting a car to be exported to Nepal while Micro Cars Limited Chairman/CEO Dr Lawrence Perera looks on. Picture by Chaminda Hittetiya