Micro Cars News

[Le Sabre]

Hope the Govt will give tax ememptions for Micro and help them expand.

Micro Cars to enter mass transport arena

Micro Cars Ltd as one of the pioneer car manufacturers in Sri Lanka will enter the mass transport business in the country in the near future, Chairman Micro Cars Ltd Dr. Lawrence Perera said at the award ceremony of ISO Certificate 9001-2008 for Micro Cars Ltd held at Cinamon Grand Hotel on Friday.

Dr. Lawrence Perera receiving the ISO 9001-2008 certification. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

He said that public transport is a key infrastructure facility essential for a developing country to go forward and his company has the talent the strength and the technology to do it.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has the vision to take the country forward but there is something lacking and things are getting delayed, he said. The authorities must seriously focus on this requirement as one third of the problems of the people of the country are solved if there is a good public transport system, he said.

The company has already launched a new 40 seater bus and another 52 seater air conditioned bus will be launched alongwith a container carrier Primemover shortly. Dr Perera said that people of Jaffna have to spend huge amounts of money to come to Colombo as air fare but if there is a good transport system, this service can be offered at an affordale price such as Rs.1000 to come to Colombo.

As the journey from Jaffna to Colombo takes nearly 12 hours it has to have extra facilities such as toilets.

Micro Cars is ready to provide comfortable buses for this purpose as soon as the roads are opened for normal traffic.

Dr Perera said that Micro Cars is the first industry in Sri Lanka to receive ISO 9001-2008 which is a great achievement. It has already launched a range of products from cars to buses and tractors.

The company has signed up with world renowned companies and is now looking at the export market.

It will export protected Rexton cars to Pakistan, Bangladesh and India in the near future. Micro Cars has the capacity to manufacture 300 cars a year which will save a huge amount of foreign exchange.

He said that among the cars the latest Rexton is very popular and more than 300 cars have been sold so far.

Asked whether the company still manufactures the first model he said that it will be modified and come out with a new out look. He said the cost of a Micro Car is only one third of the price of an imported car.

[samishka]

I used to think that MICRO has already got their much needed Tax Exemption along with Venture capital / Capital infusion.

By the way, instead of going into those MACRO EFFORTS (as they call it) like building Trains, Buses and Trucks, what MICRO has to concentrate right now is on,

1. Improving their poor after-sales service for Ssangyong SUVs.

2. Launching the much awaited Truly Sri Lankan CAR (replacing the Old-Privilege "QUADRICYCLE" and Chinese Micro-Hafei Trend)

[Le Sabre]

Hope when the new Privilege model comes out they dont price it close to a japanese car but have it at an amount that is affordable by every srilankan.

Like the indians are doing with the Nano.

[tharindu6]

Hope when the new Privilege model comes out they dont price it close to a japanese car but have it at an amount that is affordable by every srilankan.

Like the indians are doing with the Nano.

Dont get your hopes up..remember this is Sri Lanka " Land Like No Other "

[Le Sabre]

Micro Cars adds new manufacturing complex

In this era of economic meltdown, Micro Cars Ltd has taken a giant and brave step by adding another manufacturing complex at the premises of the Micro Car factory in the Polgahawela BOI Zone.

State Revenue and State Finance Minister and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Chairman, Micro Cars Ltd, Dr Lawrence Perera inspecting the newly opened complex in Polgahawela. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

Micro Cars Ltd, Chairman Dr Lawrence Perera, said that the new factory is expected to contribute to the output of Micro Agri tractors used for agricultural purposes, and primemovers, for container transportation.

The locally assembled tractor and primemover, the container transporter will drastically contribute to the transportation and agricultural purposes of the country. “Since the end of the war many opportunities have emerged in the Northern and the Eastern parts of the country making the need for transportation heavily felt.

Transportation plays a vital role in the development of a country, Therefore it’s important to upgrade the modes of transportation, if a country is to be more productive and efficient.

Our main intention is to fulfill the need of transportation of the country,” Perera said.

ISO certified Micro Cars Ltd had introduced a passenger bus with the latest facilities such as air suspension and ABS brake system.

Hence it could cater to the transportation needs of many when new routes are opened.

The new factory has 250-300 vehicle capacity per month and there will be a demand for agricultural product transportation as well as public.

Hence, the monthly output of Micro vehicles will address that demand, he said. Micro Cars Ltd is not only an entrepreneur in Sri Lanka but also a stimulant that had given opportunities for many other small and medium entrepreneurs in Sri lanka.

Micro Cars use 35 percent locally manufactured materials into their end products therefore it indirectly generate many job opportunities.

Micro Cars Ltd has joint ventures with Chinese, South Korean and Indian companies.

Perera said that Micro Cars Ltd has come a long way since its inception in 1999, and today under the Mahinda Chinthana development program it will be introducing a power train and is expecting due approval from the Government to run it on track.

He said that country is in need of 900-1000 container movers a year and Micro Cars Ltd can directly cater to that need now with the new factory in Polgahawela.

[MkX]

Hope the Govt will give tax ememptions for Micro and help them expand.

Asked whether the company still manufactures the first model he said that it will be modified and come out with a new out look. He said the cost of a Micro Car is only one third of the price of an imported car.

It's obvious when Gov charge 300% tax for imported cars.

[samishka]

Found the following article in the Daily Mirror website.

This time MICRO has partnered with an Indian tractor maker.

After the launch in the Carribean, is Micro now trying to launch the "Truly Sri Lankan" New Privilege in India instead of Sri Lanka?

The word Ramco should be corrected as Rhino. To know what is a Rhino SUV refer the http://www.bsmotoring.com/storypage.php?autono=216 link.

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Micro to export to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=59051

By Cheranka Mendis

Micro Cars Limited is set to enter the world market by a mutual agreement to trade and buy with India. It will also explore the motor market of Pakistan and Bangladesh, said Deputy Chairman, Sabri Wahid to Daily FT on Friday, at the commissioning of a new manufacturing facility for commercial vehicles and tractors at Polgahawela.

Mr. Wahid stated that after discussions with Sonalika International of India, an agreement has been reached to export Micro Privilege cars to the Indian market while importing tractors of Sonalika brand to Sri Lanka. With hopes to start the trading late this year, he stated that a significant amount of Indian Rupees is expected to be generated in this venture.

Assistant General Manager of international Tractors Limited of Sonalika International, Mr.Rajeev Pandey told FT that Sonalika International is hoping to export Sonalika brand tractors, rated as one of the top 3 tractors in India, and another Ramco range of cars to Sri Lanka, while importing the Micro Privilege cars.

"It's a sharing business; we will import from Micro Sri Lanka and they will import from us. What the specific models to be traded are being discussed right now but the dealings will start within the next couple of months," he said.

"India is a very large market and Ramco cars have already taken over the SUV market with 7 and 8 seaters. However, we do realise that the market for small cars is significantly large, and we are optimistic of achieving success with Micro Cars."

Protected Rexton bullet-proof vehicles made by Micro Cars Ltd are also to be exported to Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. They are available to the local market as well. The Chairman of Micro Ltd., Lawrence Perera stated that production of these vehicles has been instigated under an alliance with an Israeli motor vehicle company. There is a good demand for such vehicles in neighbouring countries.

Micro Cars Ltd., with the capacity to manufacture 300 cars per annum was said to have sold 1300 cars in 2008 which has been somewhat stalled this year with recession and other economic factors, said Mr. Wahid.

"The count up to August this year is about 700 vehicles, which is reasonable considering the financial situation of the people.

The best selling vehicle is the Kyrone which has sold approximately 700 vehicles within this period," he said.

At a time when worldwide demand for vehicles are on the downturn with major international vehicle manufactures cutting down on workers and closing down plants, an initiative such as this, which stands for enhancing the employment and development of the country should be commended and encouraged, said Minister of State Revenue and State Finance and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Mr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya at the commissioning of the new manufacturing facility.

He stated that the government would give full support to develop this initiative even by granting tax concessions. "We lost a significant sum from our tax revenue from imported vehicles but as an encouragement to Micro Cars Ltd. where 35% of the production process is completed by using local products, we are ready to stick by it," he said. Pic by Indrarathne Balasuriya

Edited August 24, 2009 by samishka

[Ruslan]

Ramco or Rhino that vehicle looks horrible. Indians might like those.. Defa not Sri lankans.. But Exporting Micro Cars to India is a good way.

Edited August 24, 2009 by Ruslan

[xXx]

Micro Cars adds new manufacturing complex

In this era of economic meltdown, Micro Cars Ltd has taken a giant and brave step by adding another manufacturing complex at the premises of the Micro Car factory in the Polgahawela BOI Zone.

with the amount of 'first hand' government support they get i'm surprised it took them this long to expand their assembly line.

Ramco or Rhino that vehicle looks horrible.

agree. that's one ugly looking car

[GTAm]

with the amount of 'first hand' government support they get i'm surprised it took them this long to expand their assembly line.

Good one! Amazing how not people seem to know this