CMTA and Sudath Perera Associates initiate legal action to combat fake spare parts
The Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA) and Sudath Perera Associates legal firm is to take tough action against the sale of counterfeit auto parts in the country.
Counterfeit parts are difficult to identify as they utilise replicated logos and packaging to appear genuine. This issue is particularly concerning where safety-critical parts such as brake pads for vehicles, trucks and motorcycles are concerned. More often than not, these counterfeit parts fail to meet the required safety standards, which put consumers and road users in danger. In response to these violations global automotive brands have already begun to take legal action.
Honda and Toyota have recently led efforts to mitigate the counterfeit market by conducting raids on shops who sell counterfeit parts in Sri Lanka. These operations have resulted in counterfeit goods being seized and destroyed, and several shop owners being arrested and charged with serious offences. This serves as a warning to all those engaging in illicit practices that both manufacturers and authorities are determined to protect consumers and uphold the integrity of genuine products.
At an event in Colombo Virann de Zoysa, Chairman of the Ceylon Motor Traders Association said, “We collaborated with Sudath Perera Associates to set up this initiative after hearing of the great work initiated by Toyota and Honda and the recent action they have taken against the illicit sale of parts. It is essential that we collaborate and do everything we can in terms of legal action to mitigate the sale of these illegal parts and ensure the safety of consumers as well.”
Sudath Perera, Founder and Managing Partner of Sudath Perera Associates, stated “The sale of counterfeit goods is a problem that exists on a large scale in retail, pharmaceuticals, sports goods, automotive and everything in between. It is imperative that legal action is taken against these sellers of illicit goods.”
From an economic perspective, the illegal trade of counterfeit components drains extremely valuable forex revenue from the country. These parts are illegally brought into the country, avoid proper customs processes, and are taxed by their weight rather than their actual value. This results in the government losing significant amounts of revenue that should ideally be collected from the legitimate imports of parts. This issue needs to be addressed as a national priority. As the battle against the sale of counterfeit parts moves forward, the CMTA encourages all consumers to be cautious and ensure that all parts are purchased from authorised distributors.
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