87th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN
12th October 2017 at 2.00 pm
Ground Floor Auditorium, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
“The National Trade Policy passed recently in Parliament signifies the importance of digitalization of trade processes and documents,” said Ceylon Chamber of Commerce aka CCC import section Chairman Nishan Nanayakkara at a seminar on real time payments and e-documents with e-signatures for better and faster trade facilitation held at the CCC.
He further said paperless trade attract FDIs, increases productivity and bestows huge benefits on trade in terms of saving time.
Sri Lanka Customs aka SLC Superintendant Sudattha Silva making his presentation on Sri Lanka Customs automated systems to facilitate online payment, said since 1993 SLC has been working on automating its processes.
“SLC as a collector, protector and a facilitator of compliance will immensely benefit from reliance with e-documents. We now have Customs Declaration online 24×7 which the brokers enjoy. Freight forwarders can now submit their manifests electronically.
SLC now communicates with the terminals electronically to release containers on examination. Several banks are already connected with us for internet banking facility for real-time online Customs duty payments. They are connected with the system to check all the remittances sent out of the country,” he said.
“Compliance level of the stakeholders will be measured and evaluated to absorb into the system for them to benefit from using e facilities,” said SLC Additional Director General S Rajendran.
Lanka Clear (Pvt) Ltd CEO Channa de Silva said his entity comes in as the facilitator of payments.
Verite Research’s Research Director Subhashini Abeysinghe said the effort to automate Sri Lanka’s trade has a history of two decades.
“Sri Lanka is lagging behind in South Asia as regards e-signatures and it’s high time to move into an electronic platform. We cannot compete with international markets with redundant processes. The public sector must muster right attitudes towards adapting an e-platform. Bureaucratic system is a great barrier in developing countries on their quest towards adapting an e-platform. Intentions and motivations apart from legislation play a vital role to make this a reality,” she said.
“The electronic transaction Act was passed in 2006 and to this date we are discussing implementation of its provisions. In Section 7 of the Act it clearly says that this Act supersedes all other laws in Sri Lanka. Our law must make electronic signatures and documents feasible in our quest towards making Sri Lanka the trade hub in the region”, she added. Presentation on Proposed Amendments to the Electronic Transaction Act was done by Jayantha Fernando, Director/ Legal Advisor of ICTA followed by Presentation on Lanka Clear online payment platform and future road map by Mr. Channa
The session was moderated by Dinesh de Silva Immediate Past Chairman of the Import Section of the CCC.
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