Manusha Nanayakkara, Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment, says that the increase in customs duty concessions given at the airport when expatriate workers return to Sri Lanka will be effective from May 1st, and the circular for this has been issued.
The Minister said this at a news conference held today (27) at the Government Information Department.
The Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment had submitted a Cabinet paper to the Cabinet to provide additional special duty concessions to expatriate workers in addition to the duty concessions currently provided at the airport, and it was approved by the Cabinet. Accordingly, the Ministry of Labor and Foreign Employment has issued this circular.
According to this circular, expatriate workers who legally send money to Sri Lanka through the banking system are eligible to receive increased duty relief. The amount of money sent through the banking system since the first of May last year will be taken into account and this relief will be given under five categories. Workers who have sent an amount between 2400 – 4799 US dollars can get 600 dollars, and workers who have sent an amount between 4800 – 7199 dollars can get a relief of 960 dollars. Workers who send between $7,200 – $11,999 receive an additional duty credit of $1,440. Expatriate workers who have remitted between $12,000 – $23,999 can get a $2,400 rebate. Workers who send $24,000 or more can get an additional $4,800 duty credit.