A leading economist has raised concerns over a possible leak of confidential government information related to vehicle import policy, citing a sharp and unusual spike in import-related financial transactions on May 15, 2026.
Prof Wasantha Athukorala of the Department of Economics at the University of Peradeniya said data linked to Letters of Credit (LCs) opened for vehicle imports on that day showed “anomalous” activity that warrants scrutiny.
Quoting a government minister, the professor said around 380 LCs worth USD 23.71 million were opened in a single day to import 1,782 vehicles. The figure was significantly higher than typical daily patterns.
According to Prof Athukorala, Sri Lanka’s average daily expenditure on vehicle imports normally ranges between USD 4 million and USD 5 million. In 2025 the daily average stood at USD 4.4 million, while the first three months of 2026 averaged around USD 5 million.
Against that backdrop, the sudden jump to USD 23.71 million on May 15 represented a sharp deviation that could not be explained by normal market behaviour alone, he said.
The professor suggested the spike may indicate prior knowledge of impending policy changes, raising concerns of a possible leak of sensitive government information to private parties ahead of official announcements.
He warned that such irregularities, if proven, would undermine economic recovery efforts and place additional pressure on the public through inflationary effects and declining real wages.
The intervention adds an academic voice to a contested thread. Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman first alleged a gazette leak on May 21, and the Sri Lanka Padukka faction had earlier flagged the LC volume as evidence of foreknowledge. JKCG has denied prior knowledge of the 50 percent customs surcharge introduced on May 16, while Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha rejected leak claims as speculation.
