The Government will permit the import of all goods, excluding vehicles, which were previously prohibited from being imported to Sri Lanka. The new policy will come into effect in the first week of September, allowing a broader range of goods to enter the country.
The Government arrived at this decision during a discussion last week. Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake, officials from the Ministry of Finance, and representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) participated in the meeting.
Import restrictions have been lifted on 286 goods, allowing their importation into the country. However, the import ban on another 930 goods, including vehicles, will remain in effect, maintaining the previous restrictions on these items.
However, certain categories of vehicles such as tractors are permitted to be imported depending on the farmers’ requirements.
Among the prohibited import category - there were around 500 items, including essential food items. As part of the decision-making process in the discussion, steps have been taken to lift the import ban on 250 of these items.
It has also been decided to gradually lift import restrictions on goods that are currently subject to such limitations. The process will be conducted in two stages and is due to be completed by the first week of September.