Sri Lanka’s business community has pledged its full support for the implementation of paperless Customs procedures following a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (19).
The meeting, chaired by Secretary to the President Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, focused on accelerating the implementation of the Sri Lanka Customs Paperless Document Processing programme and encouraging importers, exporters and customs clearing agents to transition to electronic documentation.
During the discussion, Kumanayake said Sri Lanka Customs has already completed the necessary technical arrangements to facilitate the online submission of Customs declarations and related documents, eliminating the need for traditional paper-based submissions.
Representatives of the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce expressed their support for the initiative and said they would work with the Presidential Secretariat to conduct awareness programmes for members to ensure the programme’s successful implementation.
Representatives of customs clearing agents also backed the move, noting that while some concerns had been raised about potential job losses, the digital transformation would ultimately enhance professionalism and efficiency in the sector.
It was noted that digital signatures will be mandatory for all electronic Customs submissions. Importers, exporters, and customs clearing agents will be required to obtain digital signatures from LankaSign before using the system.
The meeting was attended by officials from Sri Lanka Customs, the Revenue Administration Reforms and Modernisation Bureau, the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce, customs clearing agents’ associations and other stakeholders. (Newswire)