Diverse views were expressed by Colombo business circles on imposing a ban on several imported items on Tuesday.
President Electrical and Electronic Section Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Industries Dhammika Samarawickrama welcomed the import ban on some commodities and said it was very timely.
“It was very sad to note that Sri Lanka spent about USD 1 million in January alone to import perfumes, colognes and other similar substances which are already available and manufactured in Sri anka.”Samarawickrama who is also the President of Colombo Electrical Traders Association said that there are several local companies that are already manufacturing these products which are very popular and of high quality as well and some are even exported.
“What we suggest is that importers should be given a licence so that only a limited quantity could be imported.” Meanwhile Colombo Business Association Secretary Chaminda Vidanagamage said that banning the import of computer and electronic related accessories should have been done after a more careful study of the local market as the same sector needs these items for their factories.
He also said that it would have been better if broader view points were sought before imposing this ban. Meanwhile, a tourism stakeholder said one popular aspect of Sri Lanka for tourists was shopping and this import ban may affect that segment. When contacted an official in the Ministry of Finance said that this ban would not last permanently but introduced as a temporary measure until the ‘dollar shortage’ issue was addressed.