Sri Lanka has received around 100 applications for permits to import vehicles to support the tourism industry, according to Somarathne Vidanapathirana, Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Lands.
The Cabinet recently approved the import of vans and buses to enhance the fleet for transporting tourists, easing a previous vehicle import ban implemented during a currency crisis caused by aggressive macro-economic policies involving rate and tax cuts.
“Some of the vehicles in the tourism sector are 10 to 15 years old,” Vidanapathirana mentioned to reporters in Colombo on July 25.
Approximately 100 applications from eligible tourism operators are currently under evaluation, he added. So far, 10 permits have been granted to those who met the necessary criteria.