Export orders for lanka’s Micro Reton
Shirajiv Sirimane
NEW SUV: The ultra luxury Micro Reton, sports utility vehicle
manufactured in Sri Lanka has received several export orders.
Already they have received enquiries from Germany, Bangladesh,
Pakistan and Sudan.
Micro Car Company introduced its newest addition a few months ago and
already 50 vehicles have been sold in Sri Lanka, Chairman Micro Car
Company Dr. Lawrence Perera said.
They have tied up with Mercedes Benz and a leading Korean car
company, Sanyong, to manufacture this vehicle in Sri Lanka.
The company is manufacturing two SUV type vehicles, which are priced
from Rs. 7.5 million upwards.
POPULAR: Chairman Micro Cars, Dr. Lawrence Perera with the
new Micro Reton.
Picture by Shirajiv Sirimane |
“This price is almost 40 percent less of the price of an imported car
and the Government has pledged that they would purchase more vehicles
from the company thus saving foreign exchange,” he said.
They are hoping to increase production with the intention of
re-exporting to Europe. The body of the vehicle, mirrors, seats, and
rubber components including the tyres are fully manufactured in Sri
Lanka. “We are in the process of acquiring technology to have more local
components to this vehicle,” he said.
He said that one of his main priorities would be to do more local
value additions to this vehicle in Sri Lanka. “Presently we have 36
percent value addition and we want to increase this to around 50
percent,” he said.
Perera said the first ever Sri Lankan manufactured car named “Micro”,
was designed, developed and phototyped locally by Transmec Engineering (Pvt)
Ltd., and was officially launched in 2002 May.
“Today we have 52 percent of local value addition,” he said. Only the
four-stroke engine and gearbox are imported from Italy.
The project produces 600 cars monthly providing over 3,000 direct
jobs and 8,000 indirect jobs by the company.
He thanked the Government for assisting them to iron out problems
with regard to the duty that was imposed on the Micro car. “I had made
several representations to successive governments and now the company
has been granted a duty waiver,” he said.
“The Government wanted me to have at least 30 percent value addition
for the car to grant me this concession,” Dr. Perera said.
In addition to the Micro car they have increased value addition in
both their Micro Mini Van and Micro Trend which have over 36 percent
value addition done in Sri Lanka.
“My ultimate aim is to produce a 100 percent locally manufactured
car,” he said. |