The attack was planned by the group, who armed themselves with weapons and used a level of violence that can only suggest they intended to kill him
Many are now rushing to send goods through cargo operators to beat the deadline.
Director-General of Sri Lanka Customs, S A.C.S.W. Jayatilake, told Sri Lankan daily, The Morning Leader, that several requests from expat Lankans had prompted the move. He observed that many had already purchased and shipped electronic appliances, which would not be allowed under the new regulations and that was the reason for them to delay the new customs duty.
Last month, a Customs directive said that expatriates would have to pay duty on varying rates from August 1 on seven items, including popular electronic and electrical goods such as TVs, fridges and air-conditioners that were brought in to Sri Lanka.
Cargo operators said the short-lived move would bring some respite to expatriates, who had already shipped their consignments. Mythree Silva, Branch Manager at Frico International, said, “It is a good thing to postpone this as many people have already sent their goods. We have been receiving many calls from expats enquiring about the duty as they are considering sending electronic goods before September 1.”
All types of dish washers, air-conditioners, deep freezers, four-burner cookers fitted with ovens, fully automatic washing machines, refrigerators with two or more doors and with capacity of over 500 litres, televisions exceeding 29 inches and LCDs over 32 inches, earlier exempted, will now be charged customs duty anywhere between 40 to 70 per cent depending on the item. Television, for example, would carry a duty of nearly 72 per cent of its Cost Insurance Freight (CIF) value.
The Sri Lankan government has also warned its nationals against bringing any goods in large (commercial) quantities as accompanied or unaccompanied baggage and has directed them to import it in accordance with the Import Control Act.
Mohamed Giado, president of Sri Lanka Business Council (SBC) in Dubai and Northern Emirates, said that the Sri Lankan government had to be appreciative of expatriates’contribution to the economy. “The SBC certainly intends to take up this matter with the authorities concerned to review the situation,” he added.
preeti@khaleejtimes.com
The attack was planned by the group, who armed themselves with weapons and used a level of violence that can only suggest they intended to kill him
Fallen crypto hero offers apology to his former FTX colleagues
Sector’s GDP contribution is expected to have nearly doubled this year from 2021 to 36.1%
Rice is grown on 416,000 hectares across Europe and total production amounts to 2.8 million tonnes per year
Investigators say the attackers had received significant amounts of cash and cryptocurrency from Ukraine
Complete breakdown of the positions, along with instructions for job seekers on where to submit their CVs
The company aims to capitalise on technology by connecting its cars with its phones and home appliances
After a five-decade-long career, Juergen Hasenkopf, 73, says he can continue to travel around the world for 10 more years