The Tile and Sanitaryware Importers Association (TSIA), Sri Lanka’s main body established to address the grievances of tile and sanitaryware importers, has raised serious concerns about the Government’s import ban on their products and clarified how such a move is detrimental to the Government’s efforts to reduce foreign exchange outflow.
The TSIA stated it comprises over 300 importers in Sri Lanka, most of which have been in the industry for over 30 years, over which it has contributed annual tax revenue of Rs 12 billion and provided around 50,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, while developing the rural economy.
It pointed out that the temporary import suspension on tiles and sanitaryware will have a cascading effect on auxiliary related industries, such as Warehousing and Logistics, Clearing and Forwarding, Banking and Finance, Construction and Commercial Real Estate. Such actions are also expected to increase under employment among a large cross-section of professions such as Architects, Engineers, Consultants, Quantity Surveyors, and Sub-Contractors, as well as tile masons and daily wage earners.
TSIA members also occupy an average warehousing space of 2 million sq ft and approximately 200,000 sq ft of showroom retail space, contributing to real estate revenues. Therefore, restricting imports would adversely impact the income generated for warehouse and showroom owners all across the island.
