Sri Lanka’s Registration of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Department is facing mounting processing delays with a standard one-day service now taking six to seven working days, importers told Daily FT on Thursday.
The Vehicle Importers Association of Lanka (VIAL) said registration books had already been printed in many cases but were stuck at the Department of Motor Traffic awaiting release. Motorists have reported system breakdowns, slow processing and difficulty reaching officials. “The officials aren’t even answering the phones. It’s causing a lot of inconvenience for the people,” one complainant said.
VIAL President Prasad Kulatunga said the one-day registration service, which typically stretched to about two working days under normal demand, has now expanded to six to seven days. Operations are continuing under a newly appointed Assistant Commissioner General following recent administrative changes, but stakeholders said processing speeds have slowed further rather than improved since the appointment.
“We urge the government, particularly the Transport Ministry, to intervene to improve capacity and efficiency at the RMV,” Kulatunga said, warning that persistent administrative and system inefficiencies risk undermining the sector’s recovery and frustrating consumers.
The backlog follows a sharp rebound in demand after the lifting of import restrictions in February 2025. On average, just over 30,000 vehicles have been registered each month since the policy shift, with a surge in late 2025.
Central Bank data show vehicle imports have begun to cool, falling to $194 million in February from $224 million in January and $301 million in December 2025, with cumulative first-two-month imports at $418 million for 2026. JB Securities analysis said personal vehicle imports dropped 32% month-on-month in January, with February registrations down 3,683 units against January.
Total vehicle registrations fell to 51,682 units in February from 55,365 in January, with motor car registrations slipping to 4,163 from 4,648. Market activity remains heavily concentrated in small-engine passenger cars and SUVs, reflecting a continued shift towards compact models and crossovers as the post-liberalisation vehicle market moves into a more stable growth phase.
