Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC has secured Cabinet approval for a contract to supply 200 Tata Yodha pickup vehicles to Sri Lanka Police, at a total purchase value of Rs. 957 million before Value Added Tax.
The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting held on October 19 and disclosed in the official Cabinet decisions published the following day.
According to the government, seven bids were received under the National Competitive Procurement Procedure.
The contract was awarded to Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, commonly known as DIMO, following the recommendation of a high-level procurement committee.
The approved unit price is Rs. 4,785,000, excluding VAT.
Contract value reaches Rs. 957 million before tax
The Cabinet announcement provides the number of vehicles and the approved price for each pickup.
Multiplying the unit price by the 200 vehicles gives a total of Rs. 957 million, excluding VAT.
The government has identified the model as the Tata Yodha Pickup.
The Cabinet paper describes the procurement as the purchase of imported single-cab vehicles for police duties.
The published decision does not provide a breakdown of import duties, registration charges, accessories or other expenses that may be associated with placing the vehicles into service.
It also does not specify the final VAT-inclusive amount payable under the contract.
Seven bidders competed for the contract
The initial approval to purchase the vehicles was granted by Cabinet on February 23, 2026.
The government subsequently invited bids under the National Competitive Procurement Procedure.
Seven bids were received.
After evaluating those submissions, the high-level procurement committee recommended awarding the contract to DIMO.
The Cabinet accepted that recommendation, describing the company as the lowest substantially responsive bidder.
The phrase refers to the lowest-priced bid among those assessed as meeting the applicable tender requirements. It does not establish that every bidder offered vehicles with identical specifications or contractual terms.
The Cabinet decision does not disclose the names of the six unsuccessful bidders or their quoted prices.
It also does not include the detailed technical evaluation or the scoring used to determine whether each submission met the tender requirements.
Approval follows an eight-month procurement period
The decision comes 238 days after the initial Cabinet approval on February 23.
That interval covers the period between the two Cabinet decisions. It should not be treated as the exact duration of the tender process because the published announcement does not identify the dates on which bids were invited, submitted or evaluated.
23 February 2026: Cabinet approves the proposed purchase of 200 single-cab vehicles.
Procurement: Seven bids received under the national competitive procedure.
19 October 2026: Cabinet approves the contract award to DIMO.
Approved value: Rs. 957 million before VAT.
Government procurement records can be used to examine how competing offers are evaluated and whether the final award follows the applicable procedures.
The police vehicle contract provides a new example of a government purchase in which the winning supplier and approved price have been disclosed, but the competing bids are not included in the published Cabinet decision.
Delivery timetable not disclosed
The October 19 decision does not specify when the vehicles will be delivered.
It also does not identify the police divisions that will receive them or explain how the vehicles will be distributed between operational units.
The purchase was proposed by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs.
Cabinet approval establishes the government’s decision to award the contract. It does not confirm that the vehicles have already been delivered or that payment has been completed.
The final procurement cost will depend on the applicable tax treatment and contractual payment arrangements.
Cabinet Decisions of 19 October 2026, Item 08, page 4
