August 20, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka Customs is preparing to introduce a new digital signature and paperless declaration system from October 01, in a move expected to streamline documentation and make import procedures more efficient for businesses.
Seevali Arukgoda, Head of the Revenue Administration Reform and Modernisation Bureau and Senior Additional Secretary to the President, praised the Information Technology Division of Sri Lanka Customs for its role in developing and preparing the system for implementation.
He was speaking at an awareness session held at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on the Government’s digitalisation programme and its implications for revenue administration.
The event brought together importers and representatives of the business community to familiarise them with the new electronic Customs process and explain how digital signatures will be incorporated into the submission of declarations.
Organised as part of the Government’s broader drive to reduce reliance on physical documentation, the programme also examined the potential benefits of faster processing, improved efficiency and greater convenience for businesses involved in international trade.
Technical specialists from LankaPay and Sri Lanka Customs conducted a detailed session on the digital signature system, covering registration requirements, the process of obtaining a signature and its practical application when submitting Customs declarations.
The transition is expected to mark a significant step in the modernisation of Sri Lanka’s border and revenue administration, while giving traders a more technology-driven alternative to traditional paperwork.
Senior Customs officials, representatives of the Revenue Administration Reform and Modernisation Bureau, LankaPay and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, together with a large number of importers and business representatives, attended the programme.
