Spare parts rackets put on brakes

Irangika Range

A new policy for purchase and distributing spare parts required for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses has been prepared under the directives of Transport Minister Dullas Allahapperuma to arrest large scale malpractices.

Minister Allahapperuma told the Daily News that this strategy will help save Rs. 160 million annually for the SLTB. Under the new measure, bids have been called from manufactures and authorised agents and 15 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) have been selected for registration.

These 15 OEMs have been selected by evaluating quality, capability and price for spare parts and the Ministry will sign the agreements with them in the near future.

It is expected to reduce the current break down rate from 8 percent to 2 percent with the implementation of this mechanism.

He said the purchasing and distribution of spareparts has now been centralised.

The Ministry has already planned to store them at regional stores under proper standards and distribute them on demand. Twelve regional offices will be set up to supply spare parts to depots at regional level which will be directly administrated by the Head Office.

"We have received information about large scale racketeering in spare parts dealings,"he said adding that if the State bus sector is to be bailed out from its present plight and revert the SLCTB to its glory days, the spareparts dealings should be handled under a proper financial procedure.

Earlier around 322 spare parts dealers had been registered with the Ministry and a number of large scale malpractices had been reported.

"We spent nearly Rs.800 million to purchase spare parts from these dealers," he said. A mafia has been created by dealers and the SLTB never received spareparts to the tune of Rs. 800 million during the past few years.

"There have been a number of quality problems too in connection with spare parts. Therefore we have decided to formulate a new policy on spare parts purchasing and distribution following an extensive research," the Minister said.