The government is planning to lift import restrictions on various items imposed early this year following the outbreak of COVID-19.
In March, the Finance Ministry announced import restrictions on items such as certain consumer goods, raw materials, luxury goods, vehicles and refrigerators.
However, the government has now decided to scrap these restrictions in a phased-out manner. Two weeks ago, the Cabinet assigned Industry Minister Wimal Weerawansa and Money, Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal to work out a scientific criterion for lifting these restrictions in stages.
According to informed sources, the two ministers have been assigned to identify areas where import controls should be abolished immediately or at a later stage. Besides, the two ministers are required to come out with the list of items currently facing import bans but can be manufactured locally within a stipulated time.
Import control on such stuff with potential to be manufactured in the country will be relaxed once the necessary infrastructure is laid in the country for local production.
“For example, we need some items such as garment accessories to be imported for value addition in the local industry. The government will relax restrictions on them first. The government also imposed import control on things that can be manufactured locally. The Cabinet asked the two ministers to follow up and recommend when to relax import bans on them,” a government source said.
