Lawsuits challenging implementation of MRR to be taken up at Supreme Court today

• Two separate cases have been filed against SLTDA, Tourism Ministry

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
The recently introduced Minimum Room Rate (MRR), which has the tourism industry divided, will be taken up at the Supreme Court today, Mirror Business learns. 
Two separate cases have been filed at the Supreme Court, challenging the MRR. One, by a Colombo city hotel and the other, jointly by three industry associations, namely the Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITIO), Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism (ASMET) and Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference, Exhibition and Event Organisers (SLAPCEO). 

The cases have been filed against the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Tourism Ministry. 
Industry sources shared that the cases were filed as a last resort since the repeated pleas and appeals made fell on deaf ears. 
The SLTDA has been firm on its decision to implement the MRR that was gazetted and went into effect on October 1. 
The SLTDA has defended the move, stating it was a calculated decision made to help the tourism sector grow. 
Last week, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told the tourism sector stakeholders that they must do away with the MRR. He questioned, “Which country has room rates?”
Wickremesinghe asserted that instead of opting for such measures, the industry must work harder to provide improved services, which in turn would fetch higher revenue.