Sri Lanka Tea Board waives fees for online documentation

Nov 16, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's Tea Board Friday announced it was waiving documentation fees for exporters who use an electronic export document processing system in an effort to encourage more automation. . The system, designed and implemented by eServices Lanka, enables tea exporters to submit documents electronically seeking approval for export without having to visit the Tea Board.

Tea Board Chairman Lalith Hettiarachchi said the move would not only save exporters the time and hassle of calling at the Tea Board to lodge customs goods declaration (Cusdec) and other documents but also reduce costs.

"We have now agreed to do away with the 100 rupee per page lodgment fee as a gesture of goodwill to reduce exporters' costs and save time," he told a news conference.

Some 70 tea exporters, including the 10 biggest, are now online, out of 285 registered exporters.

Hettiarachchi said the board was planning to set up electronic data systems at its branches to enable exporters who do not have such facilities to also submit documents electronically.

The board wants to encourage more exporters to join the system.

Vinesh Athukorala, chief executive of eServices Lanka, said exporter