No possibility of importing vehicles for now: Minister

• Says import restrictions will be relaxed carefully and gradually

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama   

Due to the ongoing financial crisis and import restrictions, the government announced yesterday that it would be impossible to import vehicles for a considerable period of time. Addressing the weekly cabinet media briefing, Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardana yesterday said that import restrictions will be relaxed carefully and gradually.   

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) will inform the cabinet about how they take decisions to relax the import restrictions gradually.  

Meanwhile, raising his voice for the proposed amendments for foreign exchange orders already implemented for implementing the plan to lift the foreign exchange limitations step by step, the minister said that Sri Lanka is bound to lift the administrative measurements taken step by step when the country’s balance of payments reaches a steady stance as per the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) report on Sri Lanka.