Sri Lanka Customs launches LankaSign digital signatures for online document submission
Sri Lanka Customs has reportedly partnered with LankaClear to introduce LankaSign digital signatures for online document submission. This initiative is targeted at making the import and export process seamless.
Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Finance, Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal had launched the initiative at an event held at the Sri Lanka Customs auditorium recently adhering to strict Covid-19 guidelines. Deputy Secretary to the Treasury R.M.P. Rathnayake, Director General of Customs Major General (Retd.) G. Vijitha Ravipriya, Central Bank Director Payments and Settlement Dharmasri Kumaratunge, LankaClear Chairman Dr. Kenneth De Zilwa, and LankaClear GM/CEO Channa de Silva had also graced the occasion.
The import/export process has a huge bearing on a country’s Ease of Doing Business index and is also considered a critical factor in attracting foreign direct investments, the Daily FT reported.
Document submission to Sri Lanka Customs was a manual process for many years and ending this cumbersome and ineffective process, Customs has now introduced online document submission following the migration to ASYCUDA World in 2012. As a result, declarants are able to submit scanned images of import/export documents to Sri Lanka Customs.
Addressing the gathering Ajith Nivard Cabraal has been quoted as saying, “These types of progressive initiatives would improve the entire business process and ensure Sri Lanka climbs up the Ease of Doing Business index by a few notches. I commend the efforts of Sri Lanka Customs officials to further improve the business climate in the country.”
For the proposed system to work seamlessly, importers, exporters, banks, clearing agents need to sign up online with LankaSign to obtain digital signatures.
Sri Lanka Customs Major General (Retd.) G. Vijitha Ravipriya has said, “I am proud to be a part of this latest initiative of our team where numerous steps have been taken to completely automate the Customs clearing process. This latest automation would immensely benefit the traders to carry out their clearing process with minimal difficulties. It will also help our staff to process the clearing requests in a much more efficient manner with greater security.”
OSL take:
Sri Lankan authorities are committed to improving the country’s ease of doing business environment in the country. Sri Lanka is fast becoming a business hub in the South Asian region given its geographical positioning in the Indian ocean and the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country. Sri Lanka is also focused on an aggressive development programme aimed at taking the country to the next level of development. Hence, business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors have shown great expansion. Foreign businesses/investors could explore business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, especially in the ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20210722/Z_3 |