Many importers ignorant of Customs regulations - official

BY ANJANA Samarasinghe

MOST of the importers are not aware of certain rules and regulations related to the imports, a senior Customs official said.

Due to this they have to pay unnecessary payments for the Government, he said.

Any importer who wants to import goods should have a clear idea on the legal background relevant to the import of particular goods and the taxes, licence which they have to obtain from relevant authorities.

For example most of the toy importers have no idea that they have to obtain approval from the Ministry of Defence when they import remote control toys, he said.

Lack of knowledge on these areas may cost additional charges and it may affect on pricing the product when goods reach the local market.

Local traders also lack knowledge of international trade. Today World Trade Organisation is promoting trade facilitation and it is important that traders who are involved in international trade to be aware of international trade status.

Traders Association and Chambers have to play an important role upgrading the business community on regulations related to trade and international trade. These chambers can associate with relevant State authorities and organise seminars and awareness programmes for traders, he said.