by Sanath Nanayakkare
A leading local ceramics products manufacturer and member of Sri Lanka Ceramics and Glass Council told the media recently that their members choose to become manufacturers or importers depending on the policy of the government of the day.
“If we find it more profitable to import and sell due to policy decisions, we import. If we see the policy environment in Sri Lanka is conducive to manufacturing locally, we manufacture. We interchange our roles according to policy framework of the government”, he said.
Member of Sri Lanka Ceramics and Glass Council S.H. B. Karunaratne whose company’s product range is exported to about 47 countries made these remarks while speaking at a press conference organised by the Council to voice a ‘major weakness’ in Sri Lanka Customs’ Valuation Book which ‘unfairly’ favours importers of ceramic bathware, glass ware and allied products making things hard for local manufacturers.
By Hiran H.Senewiratne
Sri Lanka Ceramics and Glass Council (SLCGC) urges the government to update Sri Lanka Customs’ (SLC) ‘Text book’ or book value of key ceramic products imported into the country to protect local industrialists.
“There is an absence of a proper mechanism to implement the Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act of 2018 to protect local producers from unfair competition for key ceramic local products, SLCGC member and Art Decoration International (Pvt) Ltd. Founder Chairman, S. H.B. Karunaratne said. An SLCGC press conference was organised to focus on these matters by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.