The Sri Lankan government has provided assurance that Maldivian fish products can be imported to Sri Lanka without any hurdles, the Maldives government said on Friday.
Several medias have been reporting that Sri Lanka has banned the import of Maldivian fish products. Regarding the reports, Maldives’ Foreign Ministry said no such official communication has been received by the government, and more information regarding the matter is being sought from relevant authorities. The Foreign Ministry said the Sri Lankan government had provided assurance of a smooth import process for Maldivian fish products on October 27.
The duty charged on Maldivian fish products imported to Sri Lanka was increased by the Sri Lankan government last week. Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Ministry said the government decided to increase the duty imposed on fish products imported to the country in order to safeguard the country’s fishing sector. In this regard, the duty fees imposed on imported raw and dried fish products as well as the Maldives’ product, ‘Maldive Fish’ have been increased effective from October 27, said the ministry. A duty fee of Sri Lankan Rupees 302 will be charged as duty fees for a single kilogram of fish products that are being imported.
The Fisheries Minister of Maldives, Zaha Waheed has previously stated that a hike in duty fees on Maldivian products by Sri Lanka would not significantly impact the Maldives. While the Maldives focuses to market its products in markets which have high demand for the products at good rates, the products do not fetch a very significant price in Sri Lanka, said the minister.
