Sri Lanka Customs has announced that all foreign aid consignments will be released duty-free, with full exemption from customs and other taxes, following the country’s severe disaster situation. The process, approved by the Ministry of Finance, aims to fast-track humanitarian assistance.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published detailed guidelines on required essential items, while cleared goods can be transported by air or sea without any tax obligations. Aid consignments should be addressed to: Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Disaster Management Centre, Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 07.

Items sent directly by foreign governments to Sri Lankan embassies will also qualify for duty-free clearance.

Priority relief items include megaphones, rescue ropes, rechargeable lamps, life-saving tubes, helmets, submersible pumps, boat engines, generators, electric saws, boots, life jackets, portable toilets, mini excavators, and fertilizers such as Urea, TSP, and MOP.

Full guidelines for aid importers are available on the Customs website, with the initiative expected to expedite the delivery of vital supplies to affected communities.