Police track down ‘tourist visa’ businesses

5 December 2012 02:51 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 12 Bookmark

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Police Headquarters yesterday said that they were continuing to track down tourists who are engaged in business activities while possessing a tourist visa.

Police said that such arrests are not targeted on their nationality. A senior police officer said there is a law that the tourists have to obey as well.

“There is a law that they are not able to do business in Sri Lanka while just having a tourist visa,” he said.

Most of such business activities are carried out by Indian and Chinese nationals who enter Sri Lanka in large numbers on a monthly basis. (Supun Dias)

Comments - 12

Hardball Wednesday, 05 December 2012 03:10 AM

That will make the tourist arrival number drop by 80%.

8 26

MirakRajBanda Wednesday, 05 December 2012 03:28 AM

Sri Lanka Immigration imposed visa fee (US$10-20) and prior travel authorization before entry which used to free of charge. Increased the embarkation tax to LKR 3,500.- .
Western and wealthy tourists look for other cheaper destination such as Malaysia and Thailand who have no such formalities and the hotels/meals are much cheaper when compare to Sri Lanka but still we build more and more hotels for no obvious reason.
No harm done to the economy if the Indian and Chinese do business here with whatever visa.
Leave the visa system like in Singapore; after all, we are still third world from the eyes of the world.
Don't just exaggerate!!!!

18 23

Wahoo Wednesday, 05 December 2012 03:46 AM

But adds up to the "numerical s" !! :) .....

2 4

anura Wednesday, 05 December 2012 04:54 AM

Please focus attention to maintain the law and order of the country instead of these minor issues

8 22

sam perera Wednesday, 05 December 2012 05:00 AM

allow all who want to come to sri lanka and do tourism or business studdies or anything productive.it creates money.jobs andenough did stupid things so far over 60 plus years.appoint inteligent planners and get rid of stupid idiots in policy mAKING AUTHORITIES.LET THE FREE FLOW OF MONEY,TALENTED BUSINESSMEN AND ALL.DO THINGS LIKE SINGAPORE IS DOING.IF STILL DO STUPID THINGS LIKE THESE,GET READY FOR TO BE LIVE AS POOR AND SUFFER.

9 18

Nodrog Wednesday, 05 December 2012 05:48 AM

This fact has been common knowledge to the man-on-the-street and you are just realizing it?

1 13

SriLankan Wednesday, 05 December 2012 06:29 AM

Can't we remember the days of taking coconut oil,soap arrack etc. to India .

Now they & Chinese are coming with their products.

Newton's Law

1 15

Jaya Wednesday, 05 December 2012 06:35 AM

Only 1 objection.I know a factory where there are indian workers earning less than Rs.300 per day.They come with similar visas.A man with a family here can't live on that money.So if every poor man in India come here and work at dirt cheap rates what will happen to our people?

2 13

Nishantha Ratnayake Wednesday, 05 December 2012 06:50 AM

This is a short sighted statement. We should track down this racket of working with tourist VISA. There are somany Sri Lankans without jobs. These people bring down fake items and cheat us. MOst of the Indian Restaurents use indian labour, where as there are enough jobless people.

7 12

Kevin Smaraweera Wednesday, 05 December 2012 07:10 AM

I am surprised to see police and immigration authorities have woken up now
All these days where were they ?
Tourist won’t drop or neither it effect the incoming tourist if we have a proper control of arrival and departures.

If you take out of the Indian Tourist alone 90% arrivals who comes on tourist visa does business like the locals spicily from Tamil Nadu

Do you know the consequences that a Sir Lankan will face in Asia if they get caught in business who has come on tourist visa??

Govt should take a tough approach who breaks the law

1 17

Confused Wednesday, 05 December 2012 08:37 AM

Of course, all of these new taxes, increases in taxes, aim to bring in cash to pay off the massive loans taken.

3 5

aney Thursday, 06 December 2012 12:21 AM

What about rugby coaches

2 0

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