Sagala defers port tariff revision to 15 March

• Decision made after industry concerns raised, Cabinet to review tariff after committee report

Ports, Shipping and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayaka has decided the implementation of the proposed port tariff revision will be deferred until 15 March following concerns raised by the industry. 

Cabinet approved the decision to delay on Monday after a Cabinet paper was presented by Minister Ratnayaka that sought to defer the implementation of the tariff revision. The deferment was done due to concerns raised by multiple industry stakeholders, the Ministry said in a statement.  

The Cabinet will review the tariffs after considering the report of the committee appointed to look into the matter. The committee comprises of several senior officials of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), and a member each from the Ceylon Association of Shipping Agents (CASA), the Chamber of Exporters, the Import Section of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Sri Lanka Logistics and Freight Forward Association (SLAFFA), Joint Apparel Associations Forum (JAAF), Association of Clearing and Forwarding Agent (ACFA) and the National Chamber of Commerce. 

The committee, the Minister’s Cabinet memorandum said, would study the tariff consolidation further and make necessary recommendations on the way forward. 

The tariff revision was approved by the Cabinet on 5 November, during the second Cabinet meeting of the Sirisena-Rajapaksa Government. However, multiple industry stakeholders raised concerns about the revision and said it would be detrimental to the import and export sectors.