Tigers say lifting tariffs to improve Vanni economy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 09:24 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said they are lifting all tariffs on equipment, machinery and other inputs for agriculture, fisheries and livestock from 1 January with the aim of promoting the growth of these sectors and achieving self-sufficiency in the regions they control. They said tariffs on books, newspapers, cooking gas, infant food, computers, educational accessories, and livestock feed have been completely removed with effect from Thursday.

“We will be losing more than 100 million rupees annually as a consequence of removing these tariffs," a spokesman for the LTTE’s Finance Division said Thursday. Tariffs on candles, camphor, nutritional supplements for pregnant women, medicines, medical equipment useful trees and saplings and things required for funerals have also been completely removed, he said. All goods for the personal use of families coming to settle permanently in the Vanni from other parts of the island and from foreign countries would be exempted from tax. Those coming on transfer would also be similarly exempted. Tax would be waived on all goods brought into the Vanni by Sri Lankan government administration and NGOs on a pre-arranged basis, according to the LTTE’s Finance Division.