SRI LANKA. With one working day’s notice, the government of Sri Lanka has removed the duty free tobacco allowance from tourists and Sri Lankans arriving in the country.
From 1 April, no tobacco products will be able to be brought into the country or at Bandaranaike International Airport’s Arrivals shop.
Earlier this week Alpha Sri Lanka held urgent talks with the government and the airport authority in response to the imminent threat to duty free sales of tobacco products in arrivals.
Paul Topping, Managing Director of Alpha Asia, said: “This is a pre-election government mechanism to imply that the sales lost will be made up on the domestic market. Statistically, this is not true.”
Interested parties, including government departments caught unaware, are lobbying for a reversal of the ban.
Topping has urged major tobacco suppliers to write letters supporting duty free Arrivals sales.
Sri Lanka faces imminent threat to duty free tobacco imports and sales on arrival – 28/03/06
