6 April 2019 12:01 am
By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera
Public servants who were inconvenienced by the suspension of duty free vehicle imports will be allowed to open Letters of Credits (LCs) after June 1, 2019, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday.
He told parliament that the issuance of vehicle permits were suspended as a practical measure to protect our foreign reserves.
The minister said this in response to a question asked by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake some months ago.
He said those who had obtained vehicle permits before December 31, 2018 were allowed to open LCs after May 1 and added that permit holders would be able to open LCs after June 1 except for retired permit holders.
“Those who obtained permits before September 30, 2018 will be allowed to open LCs after June 1, 2019 and those who obtained permits before November 30, 2018 will be allowed to open LCs after July 1, 2019. Those who obtained permits before February 28, 2018 will get the opportunity to open LCs after August 1, 2019,” the minister said.
He said the others who will get their permits before July 30, 2019 will be allowed to open LCs after September 1, 2019 while others are issued with permits at any day will be able to open LCs after October 1, 2019.