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Utility bill concessions for tourism sector till 2023

22 Dec 2021

By Imsha Iqbal The Government on Monday (20) extended the grace period provided for the tourism sector to pay electricity bills until 1 March 2023. When The Morning Business yesterday (21) contacted the Ministry of Tourism with regard to the other concessions that have been provided by the Government of Sri Lanka, a Ministry official, who wished to remain anonymous, responded saying that the moratorium that has been provided by the Government is still in effect. “Among the concessions that were introduced are the loan relief package that was introduced with the contribution of the Central Bank of Ceylon (CBSL), a relief package for vehicle leasing, and this electricity bill concession. This loan relief package is in effect for the month of June next year for sector employees who obtained loans from state financial institutions, and private financial institutions were provided the said concession till March 2022.” However, the official said it has been requested to extend the concession period and it was discussed with the Governor of the CBSL. The official said he believes it would be necessary to extend the moratorium for another short period of time. Accordingly, the grace period has been extended for another two years due to the fact that anticipated growth has not taken place as a result of the spread of Covid-19, with the discovery of variants of concern. The previously given grace period was supposed to end by April 2021. The initial grant of the aforesaid concession for electricity was granted by the Cabinet of Ministers for the sector on 18 January 2021. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the proposal made by Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga. The Ministry official said that the arrival of tourists is gradually improving this year (2021) compared with the number the country recorded last year. “From the duration between 1 January to 19 Decemeber 2021, Sri Lanka has welcomed 149,109 tourists to the country,” he said, highlighting that the vaccine drive along with the third booster vaccine is currently being administered to the employees who are engaging in the tourism sector. The official also noted that the Ministry anticipates that tourist arrival would be gradually increased than that of this year. Meanwhile, the Ministry is working on developing the infrastructure of these tourist destinations in the country as well. “The Ministry has appointed inter-ministerial committees with the participation of institutions such as (Department of) Wildlife Conservation, the Road Development Authority (RDA), and the Department of Archaeology for the maintenance of tourist destinations,” the official stated, adding that apart from the concessions that have been provided, the Ministry is working on these projects in order to contribute to the sustenance of the industry. Meanwhile, during the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) that took place in the first half of this year, United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Chief of Market Intelligence Sandra Carvao said: “What we are looking at in the long run is meeting the 2019 numbers after 2023.”


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