2 July 2019 05:02 pm
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera is reported to have informed the Cabinet today that he would stop the import of cigarettes from China for Chinese working and residing in Sri Lanka.
Earlier, he had told the Cabinet that the Chinese in Sri Lanka were not used to local brands of cigarettes and therefore would allow the import of a quota of Chinese cigarettes for their use.
The minister's statement had drawn flak from several quarters with Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne openly criticising the move and the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) voicing its opposition to such cigarette imports. (Kelum Bandara)