The rate of CESS levy imposed on a total of 637 items under 187 HS codes has been amended with effect from yesterday (Nov. 15)

In his capacity as the Minister of Investment Promotion, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued the relevant government notification on November 14, by virtue of the powers vested in him by Section 14 of Export Development Act No. 40 of 1979.

Thereby, the prices of imported items such as butter, dairy spreads, cheese, curd, onions, garlic, several vegetables and fruits, soap, wet wipes, cement, notebooks, exercise books, air conditioning machines, household or laundry washing machines, and ballpoint pens will be increased.

The Ministry of Finance, however, noted that the CESS rate revision will affect the prices of any imported essential items.

All passport charges have been increased with effect from tomorrow (Nov 17), as per the 2023 budget proposal to increase fees levied by the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

Accordingly, it will now cost Rs. 20,000 to obtain a passport under the One-Day Service while the cost for a passport under the normal services has been increased to Rs. 5,000 from Rs. 3,500.

A new countrywide census is expected to be conducted next year, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation – Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday (15).

The last elephant census in Sri Lanka was conducted in 2011.

The minister said that a long-term program to reduce human-elephant conflict will be prepared and as one of the measures, a full census of elephants will be conducted.

The Minister said this at the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation held yesterday (15) for the third session of the Ninth Parliament.

The minister mentioned this when the MPs asked about the elephant-human conflict, which has become a serious problem day by day. Accordingly, many MPs drew the attention of the minister about the human elephant conflict in various areas including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ratnapura, Ampara districts.

It was also revealed that a number of reasons, including the reduction of elephant habitats and the significant increase in elephant population, have led to human-elephant conflict.

The minister said that 16 main elephant corridors in the island have been blocked and due to this the arrival of elephants in the villages has increased.

Accordingly, the minister further said that these obstacles will be removed promptly.

Also, the minister said that the President has appointed a committee to find solutions to the human-elephant conflict, and based on the committee’s decisions, he hopes to prepare a program with long-term solutions.

The minister also said that a series of separate meetings will be organized in those districts to discuss the existing problems related to the protection of wildlife and forest resources, and in consultation with public representatives and government officials, steps will be taken to provide the necessary solutions without delay.

The members also drew the committee’s attention to the damage caused to crops by animals such as monkeys, peacocks, etc. The minister also said that tough decisions will be taken to reduce these damages.

It was also discussed at the committee about the hardships faced by the farmers during the demarcation of the boundaries by the Department of Forest Resources Conservation. The minister instructed the officials to provide solutions in such a way that the people are not affected.