News

Improvements led to US GSP says Lanka

07 Jul, 2015

Improvements in Sri Lanka’s human rights situation led to the United States giving back the GSP trade concession to Sri Lanka, the Foreign Ministry said today.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith Perera said that Sri Lanka has made notable progress on the human rights issue and this has been recognized by countries like the US.

The US Department of Commerce announced last week announced?that the US President had restored the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) with effect from 29 June 2015 for a number of countries including Sri Lanka.

The US President signed HR 1295 into law on 29 June 2015, reauthorising the US GSP program until 31 December 2017, providing preferential duty-free entry into US market for nearly 5,000 products from 122 designated beneficiary countries and territories, including Sri Lanka.

Ajith Perera said that Sri Lanka stands to benefit in a big way from the US GSP as the apparel sector will get a lot of concessions when exporting to the US markets.

The?Deputy Foreign Minister also said that Sri Lanka is hopeful of regaining the EU GSP Plus trade concession soon.

He said that talks in this regard were progressing and the EU has shown interest in giving Sri Lanka the trade concession after the new Government showed progress on the human rights front. (Colombo Gazette)

Recommended For You

Feature Image

Defence Secretary orders IGP to launch special probe

Defence Secretary Major General (Retd) G.D.H. Kamal Gunaratne has instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) C. D. Wickramaratne to conduct a special investigation into the tense situation reported at the Mahara Prison yesterday. Issuing a statement, the Defence Ministry said the directive was issued today after it was noted that several inmates had reportedly attempted to escape the prison premises demonstrating unruly behaviour. ?Initially, the Prison officers got involved in easing of

30 Nov, 2020

Feature Image

Akkaraipattu declared a health high-risk zone

Akkaraipattu has been declared as a health high-risk zone with immediate effect, the Government Information Department said. The Government said that the Governor of the Eastern Province Anuradha Yahampath had declared Akkaraipattu as a health high-risk zone to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Health officials and the security forces will be deployed to ensure the public in the area strictly follow the health guidelines issued by the Health Ministry. The Government said that a health hi

30 Nov, 2020

Feature Image

Opposition demands independent probe as prison riot death toll reaches eight

The Opposition today demanded an independent investigation as the Mahara Prison riot death toll reached eight. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament that an investigation led by a Government official cannot be accepted. He said that there needs to be an independent investigation into the incident. MP Premadasa further questioned the probability of ascertaining the truth behind the cause for the riot through an investigation headed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Prisons. ?Th

30 Nov, 2020