Tiles and sanitaryware importers say budget’s good
View(s):The Tiles & Sanitaryware Importers Association (TSIA), a decades-old importers chamber, said it was appreciative with the Budget 2016 which provided support to tile and sanitary ware consumers all over the country.
The Government has maintained, this time round, the duty and cess reduction for the import of tiles and sanitary ware and members of the TSIA “have been very contented and expressed their gratitude to Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and his officials for their professional and tolerant approach in supporting the import of these products”, the association said in a media release.
“There are a lot of threats in the market that the industry is facing. Therefore, we wanted to come out as a team and sustain an input mechanism. As an organisation, we are of the view that there should be fairplay. We no doubt respect local manufacturers and their stand in the industry. Tile and sanitary ware importers too play a vital role in catering to various other demands in the industry. With the recent budget hearing and through Minister Karunanayake’s continuous intervention, importers can once again make available these products at a reasonable price,” Tiles and Sanitary ware Importers Association, President, Kamil Hussain said.
Tiles and sanitary ware today, has become a commodity that has defined itself as a basic need. These entities are no longer considered luxurious and utilising these products does not always have to do with the aspect of aesthetics but is meant to assist towards maintaining a hygienic and sanitary lifestyle. And with the current trajectory focusing on growth in the construction and real estate sector, this only means that demand would grow, especially when it comes to foreign funded mixed development and condominium projects, the release said.
“In Sri Lanka, the cost of energy is exorbitantly high and this would of course affect the product cost. Initially, the imposed duty and cess levy was placed at 160 per cent and this meant increased prices for consumers. With the Government’s policy to incentivize and boost the construction industry in Sri Lanka, they had also looked at reducing the costs of construction and provide the public with an option for affordability and a chance for them to improve their lifestyles. This also means that now, even architects and interior designers who have had felt restricted in terms of creativity, need not worry about the cost of acquiring elements of beautification,” Mr. Hussain added.