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The
objective of promotion and development of exports
is the enhancement of foreign exchange earnings:
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to
accelerate economic growth and create
employment;
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to
solve the balance of payments problem; and
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to
reduce the dependence on foreign aid.
A.
MACRO - ECONOMIC STRUCTURES AND POLICIES:
1.
The Government will endeavor to maintain a
realistic exchange rate in order to retain the
competitiveness of the export sector vis-a-vis the
trading partners and competitor countries.
2.
The Government will ensure for exporters (direct
and indirect) unrestricted and duty /tax-free
access to imported inputs (raw materials,
packaging materials. Consumable, raw material and
finished product samples, technologies including
design specifications, machinery, equipment,
accessories, technical advice, training, etc.).
3.
The Government will work towards making available
finance ( medium and long-term as well as
short-term) at internationally competitive rates.
4.
The Government also will endeavor to provide
expanded access to financing particularly by
developing substitutes for physical collateral and
strengthening the capabilities of financial
institutions to evaluate projects on the basis of
viability.
5.
The Government will adopt (as stated in the
Strategy for Industrialisation) all measures
necessary to develop the capital market including
the popularisation of Unit Trusts, Venture Capital
Companies and the provision of incentives for the
purchase of stocks and shares.
6.
The Government will, as stated in the Strategy for
Industrialisation, the take steps to ensure that
the export sector is as competitive as the other
sectors of the economy by constantly reviewing and
lowering the import tariff and phasing out export
tariffs, (except where there is need to promote
further processing of local materials) so that
resources may flow into the export sector and
other sectors on the basis of comparative
advantages.
B.
PROCEDURES AND DOCUMENTATION:
7.
The Government will adopt suitable measures to streamline
procedures and documentation to :ensure as far as possible
automaticity (as already stated in the Strategy for
Industrialization) in regard to :
(a)
import of inputs for production for export;
(b) export of goods and services;
(c) release of foreign exchange for purchase of inputs ,
travel, setting up of offices abroad,
payments to expatriates, remittance of profits. Etc.;
(d) approval of applications for projects, sites. Plans, etc.;
(e) land leases and grants;
(f) grant of incentives; and
(g) taxes and levies.
C.
INFRASTRUCTURE
8.
The Government will give the export sector (direct and
indirect) priority in the provision of public utilities and
services in the following areas. The Government will also
ensure that such h facilities are provided at
competitive rates particularly by encouraging the private
sector to provide such facilities/ services :
(a) transport, sea/ air freight;
(b)
telecommunications;
(c) water supply
(d) electricity and fuel supplies,
(e) R & D facilities;
(f) quality control/ standards;
(g) Packaging; and
(h) industrial estates/developed plots.
D.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE:
9.
The Government and agencies of the Government will assist the
export sector (direct and indirect) in -
(a)
identifying export markets;
(b) Providing information on the needs and specifications of
export markets;
(c) catering to the needs of the export market through
sub-contracting, training, acquisition of technology,
packaging, quality control, etc.;
(d) securing orders;
(e) marketing of goods and services;
(f) setting up of export trading houses;
(g) offering incentives to the private sector to provide
export services; and
(h) improving management capabilities to increase efficiency
and improve productivity.
E.
GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION :
10.
The Government will recognize the role of the private sector
in export development through the following measures:
(a) ensuring the free export of all products and services
other than products and services which, in the opinion of the
Government, should be prohibited or restricted for anyone of
the reasons like national security, national heritage,
etc.; and compliance with the country's obligations
under multi-lateral or bilateral treaties;
(b) permitting market forces in determining prices.
(c) respecting the sanctity of international trading contracts
made lawfully in the ordinary course of business and ensuring
that no impediments are placed in the execution of such
contracts and
(d) refraining from andy prohibitive or restrictive action of
a retroactive nature except with the sanction of the Export
Development Council of Ministers after a proper and thorough
study of the pros and cons.
11.
All Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government
shall adhere to the National Policy enumerated above in
carrying out their functions relating to the promotion and
development of exports.
12.
Annexed hereto are
(i) Products which are Prohibited or
restricted for export
(ii) Items under License Control.
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PRODUCTS
WHICH ARE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED FOR EXPORT
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DESCRIPTION
OF PRODUCT
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NATURE
AND SCOPE OF PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTION
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(1)
Animals/ Parts of Animals
Any
mammal, bird, reptile amphibian, fish coral or
invertebrate whether dead or alive or the eggs,
feathers, or plumage of any bird, horns, antlers, skin
or hide of any mammal or reptile or any part of any
mammal, bird, reptile amphibian, fish, coral or
invertebrate cannot be exported without the approval
of the Director of Wild Life. Domestic animals (nonindigenous
species) are excluded.
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Permits
are issued to promote scientific Permits are issued to
promote scientific knowledge, including suppliers to
foreign zoos, museums, in exchange for suppliers to
local museums and zoos. Fine : Rs.20,000/- Rs.
50,000/- or imprisonment of 5-10 years or both
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(2)
Antiquities / Cultural Property
Objects
which date or may reasonably be believed to date from
a period prior to 2nd day of March 1815.
Statues, Sculpt ured or dressed stone and marbles of
all descriptions, engravings, carvings inscriptions,
paintings, writings and the material whereon the same
appear, appear, all specimens of ceramic, glyptic,
matallurgic and textile art, coins, gems, seals,
jewels, jewellery, arms, tools, ornaments and all
other objects of art which are movable property.
(Items of cultural value made of brass, masks,
furniture, statuettes.)
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Antiquities
/ Cultural property cannot be exported without the
permission of the Commissioner of Archaeology.
Cultural
property Act/ Antiquities Ordinance.
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(3)
Dangerous Drugs
*
Poppy plant, cocoa plant or hemp plant or seeds, pods
leaves, flowers or any part of such plant.
*
Any resin obtained from the hemp plant or preparation
or extracts from the hemp plant commonly known as
bhang, hashish or ganja or any other preparation of
which such resin forms a part
*
Raw or prepared Opium
*
Drugs, substances, articles or preparations specified
in Group BCD and E in Part I of the Third Schedule of
the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.
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Poisons
Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance
--do--
--do-- --do--
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(4)
Explosives
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Export
prohibited under explosives Ordinance.
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(5)
Fish-Live Ornamental
Live
Fish or the eggs, roe or spawn of any live fish
included in the First Schedule.
Scientific
Name Sinhala
Name
Belonita
Singate Pulutta
Puntins
cumingi Polheya
Puntins
Titteya
Lai Titteya
Puntins
Nigro Fascitis
Bulath Sapeya
Rasbora
Voterifloris
Hal mal Dandiya
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No
person shall export except on permit issued by the
Director of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
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(6)
Minerals
Brick
/ tile / cement-clay, sand, gravel, laterite, shale,
stone aggregate coral, shell, ball clay, kaolin,
feldspar, sedimentary Limestone, glass sand, calcite,
dolomite (marble), silica quartz (vein quartz),
garnet, mica, flourspar, serpent inite, magnesite,
green marble, radioctive minerals, apatiote, diension
stone in raw form.
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Prohibited
-Powers delegated under the Mines & Minerals Act
No.33 of 1992. Under the Mining (Licencing) Regulation
No. 1 of 1993 the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau
is the sole licensing authority for the exploration,
mining, transport, trading, processing and export of
minerals.
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(7)
Obscene Publications
Obscene
writings, drawings, prints, paintings, printed matter,
pictures, posters, emblems, photographs,
cinematographic films or any other obscene objects
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Obscene
Publication Ordinance.
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(8)
Protected Plants
Protected
plants for the time being specified in Schedule V of
the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
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(9)
Any
flora and fauna listed in the Appendices I, II and III
of the CITES (Convention of International Trade of
Endangered Species to which Sri Lanka is a Signatory).
*
Cinchona bark in any form, including Cinchona bark
powder or any other part of Cinchona tree.
*
Tea seed, root stump or bud of any tea plant or
cutting from or living portion of any such
plant which is capable of being used to propagate it
to India, Pakistan Indonesia or any other prescribed
country.
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Export
of items in Appendix I is prohibited.
Export
of items in Appendix II may be permitted on licence
issued by the Director wild Life Conservation if it is
not threatened in Sri Lanka.
Export
of items in Appendix III may be permitted on licence
issued by the said Director.
Prohibited under Schedule "B" of the Customs
Ordinance.
Cannot
export except on an licence issued by the Tea
Controller under the Tea Control Ordinance.
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PRODUCTS
WHICH ARE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED FOR IMPORT
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Narcotic
Drugs
Arms
& Ammunitions
Garments
ITEMS
UNDER LICENCE CONTROL
Four
items are subject to export licence issued by the Controller
of Imports and Exports. List of items under export licences,
their Harmonised System (HS) Classification numbers are given
below.
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HS
Code
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Description of items
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Recommendcing Authority
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0508.00.01
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Coral
chanks
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Ministry
of Fisheries &Aquatic
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0508.00.02
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Conch
shell other than chanks
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Resources
Development
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0507.10
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Ivory
and Ivory
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Dept.
of Wild Life
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9601.10
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Products
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Conservation.
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8702.00
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Passenger
motor
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Commissioner
of Motor Traffic
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8703.00
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Vehicles
registered in Sri Lanka prior to 1/1/199945
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Chapter
44 -
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Timber
and Timber Products i.e. Wood including
logs and sawn timber.
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Ministry
of Agriculture, Lanks and Forestry.
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EXCLUDING
4402.00.01
Coconut shell charcoal,
4419.00
House hold utensils of wood, (Tableware and kitchenware)
4420.00
4421.10
Manufactured articles of wood.
upto 90
4407.99.02
Rubber wood as semi-finished and component where FOB
4413.00.01
price is US $ 400 per CBM which should be raised by 5%
4417.00.02
each year from 1992.
4418.30.01
4421.90.03
Ebony wood products in handicraft from. (Export of ebony
products in any other form is not permitted).
(Ministry of Livestock Development and Rural Industries).
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General Section
