The Tile & Sanitaryware Importers Association (TSIA, yesterday raised serious concerns about the Government’s import ban on their products, and clarified how such a move is detrimental to the Government’s efforts to reduce foreign exchange outflow.
The TSIA, Sri Lanka’s main body established to address the grievances of tile and sanitaryware importers, consists of over 300 importers in Sri Lanka with a large majority of them having a long history of over 30 years of economic contribution to the country by way of tax revenue totalling Rs. 12 billion annually, employment opportunities to thousands, providing high-quality alternatives to local customers and many other benefits.
At present, this industry provides direct and indirect employment to around 50,000 individuals islandwide. The 300-odd members have appointed over 2,000 dealers across the island, who in turn have helped to create entrepreneurs and develop the micro rural economies in various cities and towns.
The TSIA points out that imposing the temporary import suspension on tiles and sanitaryware imports will have a cascading effect on auxiliary related industries such as warehousing and logistics, clearing and forwarding, banking and finance, construction and commercial real estates. Such actions are also expected to increase under employment among a large cross-section of professions such as architects, engineers, consultants, quantity surveyors, sub-contractors as well as tile masons and daily wage earners.
TSIA members also occupy an average warehousing space of 2 million sq. ft. and approx. 200,000 sq. ft. of showroom retail space thus contributing to the real estate revenues in the country. Therefore, restricting imports would adversely impact the income generated for warehouse and showroom owners all across the island.
