Sri Lanka, June 30 -- The government must stop treating the automotive industry as a reactionary tool to hit short-term fiscal targets and instead recognise it as a core driver of national industrial development, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Secretary General and CEO Shiran Fernando said.

Delivering the keynote speech at the Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA) held in Colombo last Friday, Fernando warned that both the state and industry must abandon the outdated mindset that treats the vehicle market strictly as a source of quick customs collections.

With vehicle imports progressively opening up, he urged the local motor traders to strategically reposition themselves to protect the sector from punitive...