COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has decided to abolish a 1 percent tax charged on tea imported for re-export, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka said.
Sri Lanka will continue to issue licenses for tea imports for re-exports. Each license will be charged a 1000 rupee fee. Sri Lanka has controls on tea imports due to heavy lobbying by several Mercantilist tea firms preventing the country from becoming an international hub for tea processing.