Import restrictions: Update from Minister

The government is prepared to lift the ban imposed on imported goods once the foreign exchange crisis is mitigated, Acting Cabinet spokesman and Minister Ramesh Pathirana said today.

Addressing the media today, he said that the current ban is a temporary measure and it will systematically be amended. 

“Several industries are facing issues due to the import ban as they are unable to obtain their essential raw materials. The import ban is a temporary measure,” he said. 

Minister Pathirana further said it has been decided to review the import ban once a week or every two weeks and provide import relief for essential raw materials.

“The list of banned import items is not permanent. The government has taken measures to amend it based on the needs current requirements,” he said. 

Stating that several industry stakeholders have expressed their grievances in this regard, he said measures have been taken to provide relief in this regard.

The amendments to the ban on imported goods will be presented to Parliament and approval will be obtained via a Gazette notification, Minister Ramesh Pathirana added.