Donations via DMC to be exempted from tax: Customs DG

By Poojathmi Rivithma

Colombo, Dec. 2 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka Customs Director General Seevali Arukgoda announced that donations from abroad will be exempted from taxes and released promptly, provided they are sent in coordination with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and clearly labelled as disaster relief.

He said donors may visit the Sri Lanka Customs website for guidelines on sending donations.

To qualify for tax exemption, all consignments must be addressed to either the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security or the Director of the DMC.

Arukgoda added that donors should label each package with a brief description of its contents and weight. 

Donations may be sent by air or sea, and once received by the designated authorities, the items will be handed over to the DMC for distribution.

However, he noted that if parcels are sent to individuals instead of through authorised channels, tax exemptions cannot be granted and there is no assurance that the items will reach the intended recipients.

The DG further said that once donations are distributed, an official email confirmation will be sent to the donors.