Watch repairers want low tax on spare parts

By Ananda KANNANGARA

Have you heard about an ordinary watch repairer, a resident of Hikkaduwa who is using a Swiss made `Rolex' wristwatch worth over Rs. 600,000. Not many in this country would have ever heard about such an expensive wristwatch. It is unbelievable that even a wealthy person could be wearing such a watch.

It's a moot point whether this watch repairer whose small wooden shop erected in the heart of Hikkaduwa can buy such an expensive watch. There could be a secret behind this.

Mawalage Gunasena, popularly known as Gune Mudalali is 49-years-old. He was born and bred in Galle, the historic village and the capital of Southern Province. Gune Mudalali began his watch repairing career at the age of 21. He took over the business from his father the late David Singho, a popular watch repairer in Galle.

When Sunday Observer visited him last Thursday to know the real story of this Rolex watch, he was not reluctant to reveal the story.

It was December 1996, and Hikkaduwa has been a very popular tourist destination. "While I was repairing watches around 9.00 am, I saw a group of tourists consisting about six males and females rushing to their hotel after their morning exercises. A few minutes later I saw a small silver coloured box lying on the ground. I thought it had fallen from a pocket of a tourist,"

He said when he opened it, he found the box contained a wristwatch. It was the first time he had ever set his eyes on such a watch. "As I didn't know the actual price of the watch, I kept it with me.

I took it home in the evening and kept it in a safe place, but to my dismay the local guide of the tour group visited me the following morning and inquired whether somebody gave me a box that contained a watch,".

Gunasena had promptly asked the guide why he had straightaway come to him and inquired about the wristwatch.

The guide believed somebody had picked up the watch and had sold it to me without knowing the actual price of it.

The guide without telling the actual value of the watch, lied that it had a sentimental value and the foreigner was prepared to give even Rs. 10,000. Gunasena pretended not to know about it.

Even today he laments that he could not return the watch to the owner and this highly valued watch is still with him. He said the cost of the watch is over Rs. five hundred thousand, but even if I want, no one in the country would buy this watch by paying such a big amount.

A reputed watch repairer and the owner of Silver Chime Watch Works in Colombo, S.H. Liyanage said he has been repairing watches for the past twenty-five years. He said most of his customers were office workers, employed in Colombo and he earns a sufficient monthly income.

Liyanage said he took over the business from his father Wilson Liyanage who had a business premises in Colombo during 1948.

"I repair all kinds of watches including battery operated, automatic and mechanical winding wristwatches,".

A resident of Kolonnawa, Liyanage said he repairs all brands of watches such as Seiko, Citizen, Western, Roamer and Colber and at least 40 to 50 customers come to his shop everyday to get their watches repaired.

Liyanage said various kinds of watches are sold cheap in the market today and warned people to refrain from buying such low priced watches since they cannot be used even for two months. He said no spare parts are available to repair such low quality watches and they will have to be thrown away. Many parts of these watches do not decay and will remain on the soil.

They could easily pollute the environment.

He therefore urged Government authorities not to allow people to import low quality wristwatches as they create a threat to our environment.

A long standing watch repairer, 65-year-old Nimalasiri Perera of Aluthgama said he has been repairing only battery operated wristwatches and unlike in the past only a few people come for watch repairs.

He said with the influx of imported low quality watches almost daily, people have been used to buy low priced watches, but such watches cannot be used for more than two months.

He appealed authorities not to import such low quality watches to the country as they also help pollute the environment.

He however asked authorities if they cannot stop importing low quality watches, at least to establish recycling plants in every district and start recycling them.

A female watch repairer, 35-year-old Kanthi Samarasinghe of Beruwala said she learned the art of watch repairing from his father and earns about Rs. 800 a day.

She said she buys spare parts from dealers in Colombo and they are very expensive due to the high tax imposed by the Government and appealed authorities not to increase taxes on watch spare parts as almost all watch repairers in the country are facing immense financial difficulties.

A watch repairer, 56-year-old Sirisena Pathirana said watch repairers are leading very pathetic lives, they do not have proper premises to carry out their business. He therefore asked authorities to provide them with places at main junctions as Police are always harassing them.

He wants authorities to provide all watch repairers suitable locations in main towns, like they have already provided places for lottery ticket sellers.

A watch repairer, Gunadasa Lionel of Kalutara appealed authorities to stop allowing traders to import low quality wristwatches to Sri Lanka. This was due to reasons such as spending large sums of foreign exchange, polluting the environment, bringing unhealthy chemicals to the country and loss of employment for genuine watch repairers.