Tea exports documentation go online

Sri Lanka's economy is in transition. The transition takes place fast and the economy moves forward. But still we cannot be happy because we are far behind our potential, said the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade Dr. R. M. K. Rathnayake. He was addressing a seminar organised by the Sri Lanka Tea Board to promote the online tea export documentation system.

Dr. Rathnayake said trading should be fast and cost effective and this has become a must to survive. Online documentation will apply to all import and export business within a couple of years. Whatever new technology we introduce the confidentiality of the information is guaranteed and no individual information is released to others, he said.

The Sri Lanka Tea Board together with eService Lanka Limited, Sri Lanka Customs and the BOI has initiated the online export documentation system for tea exports. The Tea Board will now go for total online tea export documentation.

The seminar was organised to educate tea exporters on the new online documentation process and demonstrate the success of the process started one year ago. Tea Commissioner N. Uyangoda said that this was introduced to 30 tea exporters and today 10 regular tea exporters successfully use the online documentation and gain in many ways.

Uyangoda said that there are 300 registered tea exporters in the country but only around 50 exporters are active. The Tea Board expects to connect all tea exporters online.

CEO of the eService Lanka Vinesh Athukorala said that with the new online documentation system export documentation has reduced to 23 minutes.

Under the online documentation system the exporters get the online payment gateway and lodgment number, online submission of Blend sheet to Tea Board and acknowledgement, online approval of CUSDEC's by the Tea Board and online registration and assessment of CUSDEC's by Customs or the BOI.

This process reduces the documentation related lead-time and exporters need not visit the Tea Board or the Customs. Athukorala said that this initiative would expand to cover all import and export sectors to make Sri Lanka a logistic hub in the region.

(GW)