Govt. to fast-track integration of key agencies into national trade system

Wednesday, 5 February 2025 00:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma

Aims to integrate 9 out of 34 key State agencies into national trade system in 1H
Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma says long-term goal is to establish seamless digital trade facilitation system

By Charumini de Silva

The Government recently announced that a major policy goal in the coming six months is the full integration of nine critical State agencies into the country’s national trade system, a process that has been stalled since 2016.

Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma highlighted the pressing inefficiencies currently faced by the importers and exporters due to complex bureaucratic hurdles spread across 34 different institutions involved in trade facilitation.

The lack of coordination among these entities delays approvals, increases transaction costs, and creates unnecessary obstacles for businesses engaged in international trade.

“A quick win would be getting nine key agencies fully connected within the next six months,” he said, speaking at the Sri Lanka Economic Summit last week organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Suriyapperuma said the long-term goal is to establish a seamless digital trade facilitation system, where businesses will be able to complete all regulatory interactions online, without having to visit multiple Government offices.

Although a fully unified digital system remains the ultimate goal, he said the immediate priority is to ensure that businesses can at least submit key trade documents online across nine different agencies initially during the first half of this year.

He said this initial step will be a stepping stone in the digitalisation of State institutions and the successful integration of these nine Government agencies is expected to serve as a broader effort to streamline trade facilitation.

“It will significantly reduce processing delays, boost efficiency and improve transparency in trade-related regulatory procedures,” Dr. Suriyapperuma added.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.