Sri Lankan Citizens Working Abroad

[Nalin Sathsara]

I'm new to this Forum. Can anybody tell me Gift permit (or any other permit) is still available for Sri Lankan citizens who are working abroad?

According to government's website gift permit has been suspended since December 2011 (http://www.imexport....-events〈=en) :speechless-smiley-019: . But I doubt whether they again started issuing these permits or not.

Does anyone know about the latest status of it?

I have sent money (more than 20,000 USD) to Sri Lanka during my 2 years of stay in abroad. I'm still working abroad and I have evidence to prove my remittance to Sri Lanka. Is there anyway I can import a car older than 2 years?

Any help would be appreciated!

[NZer]

Hi i live in Aussi and im married from their too. There is no permits issued at this stage at the moment. I tried all avenues but was unsuccessful. There is a word out there that it will come back on soon but then again its only a word. There is no concession for people like us out there.

[Nalin Sathsara]

Hi i live in Aussi and im married from their too. There is no permits issued at this stage at the moment. I tried all avenues but was unsuccessful. There is a word out there that it will come back on soon but then again its only a word. There is no concession for people like us out there.

Thanks for your reply. People who send money back to SL by working abroad help a lot to strengthen the economy of our country but it's really bad that government still can't understand the value of these people :sad-smiley-066:

[slme777]

Hi Folks,

I am new to this forum and looking for some help from you guys! I live in Australia as a permanent resident (not a citizen though) and used to send money to my NRFC account in Sri Lanka.

To be honest with you, I am a bit of crazy about 4WD vehicles than cars or vans So I would like to know my options to import a used Jeep (ideally a Nissan Patrol, year 2009-2010). I heard about gift permits but it seems the SL Government have yet to announce their latest schemes.

To make it simple, is there anyway an ordinary person can import a used vehicle (from Australia) without any of those permits in SL? I am ok to pay the taxes and freight charges, but how am I going to calculate these? And what forms do I have to fill in? I can show my NRFC deposits if they require that too.

Hope to get some help from all of you.

Thanks!

[MeanGreenZ28]

Someone I know just recently took his 3000GT to SL when he moved back. He'd had it for a while so he was able to take it back with him without much hassle. Can find you details if that's what you're also gonna do

[MrCat]

Hi Folks,

I am new to this forum and looking for some help from you guys! I live in Australia as a permanent resident (not a citizen though) and used to send money to my NRFC account in Sri Lanka.

To be honest with you, I am a bit of crazy about 4WD vehicles than cars or vans So I would like to know my options to import a used Jeep (ideally a Nissan Patrol, year 2009-2010). I heard about gift permits but it seems the SL Government have yet to announce their latest schemes.

To make it simple, is there anyway an ordinary person can import a used vehicle (from Australia) without any of those permits in SL? I am ok to pay the taxes and freight charges, but how am I going to calculate these? And what forms do I have to fill in? I can show my NRFC deposits if they require that too.

Hope to get some help from all of you.

Thanks!

Some extra info here : http://forum.autolanka.com/index.php?/topic/9237-importing-car/page__pid__204399__st__60#entry204399

There`s also news that the gov is looking to scrap personal imports completely : http://forum.autolanka.com/index.php?/topic/13543-10m-non-refundable-deposite-to-obtain-vehicle-import-permit/page__pid__204450#entry204450

With this rate of policy change in the country, you`ll probably be better off Buying second hand from SL. Good luck paying two times in value as tax for a 40 grand car mate (just an approximation only).

Edited April 23, 2012 by MrCat

[The Don]

Some extra info here : http://www.autolanka..._60#entry204399

There`s also news that the gov is looking to scrap personal imports completely : http://www.autolanka...450#entry204450

With this rate of policy change in the country, you`ll probably be better off Buying second hand from SL. Good luck paying two times in value as tax for a 40 grand car mate (just an approximation only).

As an ex-pat myself I second that. It is nearly impossible to plan ahead as government policies change on a daily and possibly hourly basis. And on examples to date no relief has been granted on transactions already started before the policy change was made public (in previous governments there was always relief granted for transactions such as letters of credit opened before a tax rate change for example) so in essence the policy change was applied retrospectively.

It is a bit like you could be a criminal tomorrow for an action you perform today which is not a crime today. Confused? me too But that is how it is.

[Crishan]

Thanks for your reply. People who send money back to SL by working abroad help a lot to strengthen the economy of our country but it's really bad that government still can't understand the value of these people :sad-smiley-066:

Nalin,

I have seen these kind of posts several times, but stayed back without commenting on those thinking it's a waste of time. But any ways today for some reason I felt replying after seeing your comments.

By August 2011 (if I'm not mistaken) the Import & Export Department started to issue these gift permits again. By the time I got ready with all the documents & visited their office they stated that they have stopped it the Day before I went. In fact my father is working abroad & he wanted me to issue this Permit. He has remmited funds accordingly. (And we are even OK to hold those funds as a guarantee in FCY until the permit expires)

My point is that the main source of the Government now receiving foreign currency (apart from the IMF loan) is trough Foreign workers & not trough exports. Sorry to say that officials treat foreign employees as peices of sh*t. They issue permits to ministers & other officials who does nothing but ruin the country. And most of those idiots go & sell their Permit. I get to see my father once a year & he works hard for his salary. At least Mr. Kabral should feel a bit for people like us for making sacrifices as such. (Now I have to satisfy myself with a 10 year old car to go to work)

[Crishan]

Someone I know just recently took his 3000GT to SL when he moved back. He'd had it for a while so he was able to take it back with him without much hassle. Can find you details if that's what you're also gonna do

I guess he must have got a Blue Permit.

[The Don]

Nalin,

I have seen these kind of posts several times, but stayed back without commenting on those thinking it's a waste of time. But any ways today for some reason I felt replying after seeing your comments.

By August 2011 (if I'm not mistaken) the Import & Export Department started to issue these gift permits again. By the time I got ready with all the documents & visited their office they stated that they have stopped it the Day before I went. In fact my father is working abroad & he wanted me to issue this Permit. He has remmited funds accordingly. (And we are even OK to hold those funds as a guarantee in FCY until the permit expires)

My point is that the main source of the Government now receiving foreign currency (apart from the IMF loan) is trough Foreign workers & not trough exports. Sorry to say that officials treat foreign employees as peices of sh*t. They issue permits to ministers & other officials who does nothing but ruin the country. And most of those idiots go & sell their Permit. I get to see my father once a year & he works hard for his salary. At least Mr. Kabral should feel a bit for people like us for making sacrifices as such. (Now I have to satisfy myself with a 10 year old car to go to work)

Crishnan, All of what you say makes sense. But I think you need to take a step back and think about what has happened in the last couple of years.

A very good example is what the government did when there was a severe foreign currency reserves crisis post war. What the government did was they offered to pay 20% rupee interest on NRFC deposits kept in Sri Lankan banks to encourage ex-pats to save their money in Sri Lanka. Many responded (I think) but the scheme was withdrawn as soon as the immediate issue was resolved after only 3 or 4 months.

I think you can understand most investments are done on a long term basis. But government policy of late has been reactive on short term. I think under the veil of development the country has serious economic problems. So it is very difficult to think long term and plan and do things.

I can say a lot more and bring out various other examples. But there is no point and I run the risk of attracting the wrong type of attention to this forum.

So lets just say, we all share in the collective dissatisfaction at the contempt the government treats its citizens both overseas and inland. It is a lot worse for the people in the country.

Fairness I think is a concept that has sadly been forgotten.

I mean when you consider countries like Philippines for example who contribute a lot of foreign exchange to the country, there are special measures at the Airport to welcome these people in. But I have seen how our officials and the national airlines treats house maids (funny enough they get better treatment on other airlines).

These issues go a lot beyond cars. What I would like to see is consistent fair government policy which does not change all the time. Most ex-pats will love to invest in our motherland not for altruistic reasons but mostly because a lot of us harbour dreams of settling down amongst friends and family. Government policy has no affect on our bonds and loyalties. But changes in policy makes things very difficult ......

[Scooter]

And let's add dual citizenship processing to the list of government and bureaucratic initiatives of recent years that leave people scratching their heads about SL's involvement in a modern, globalised economy....................................

[MeanGreenZ28]

And let's add dual citizenship processing to the list of government and bureaucratic initiatives of recent years that leave people scratching their heads about SL's involvement in a modern, globalised economy....................................

oh I know this one very well ... my mum applied, and is still scratching her head

[MrCat]

These issues go a lot beyond cars. What I would like to see is consistent fair government policy which does not change all the time. Most ex-pats will love to invest in our motherland not for altruistic reasons but mostly because a lot of us harbour dreams of settling down amongst friends and family. Government policy has no affect on our bonds and loyalties. But changes in policy makes things very difficult ......

+1 for that. Cars are the least of our worries in fact. If we are finding it so hard to take investment decisions with first-hand information, foreign entities that are/were considering in investments must be turning away in numbers. It`s very hard to deal with the country indeed.

[Flash_Bang]

I'm new to this Forum. Can anybody tell me Gift permit (or any other permit) is still available for Sri Lankan citizens who are working abroad?

According to government's website gift permit has been suspended since December 2011 (http://www.imexport....-events〈=en) :speechless-smiley-019: . But I doubt whether they again started issuing these permits or not.

Does anyone know about the latest status of it?

I have sent money (more than 20,000 USD) to Sri Lanka during my 2 years of stay in abroad. I'm still working abroad and I have evidence to prove my remittance to Sri Lanka. Is there anyway I can import a car older than 2 years?

Any help would be appreciated!

So You blaming government for not giving you tax free rides?? Get that you and 1 million people including me earning hard money from overseas and pumping it back to SL in this very moment. BUT that isn't an excuse to claim Tax deductions.. Remember Every cents you and I deduct from our papers route through innocent citizen's pocket whom couldn't even earn Rs.500/= per day for whole family. Its your right to request, but that's the truth in SL.

[NahoY]

OK let's look at this another way - As someone who doesn't work overseas and remit lots of greenbacks to SL I could argue that it isn't fair that permits are issued to those who do....

I bust my gut locally to work for a company that exports and therefore earns loads of dollars, why should I not get a permit too ... the same argument applies... oh and by working locally I also pay tax on my meager salary, so actually I contribute more to the economy than some SL citizens working abroad ...... The company I work for also provides employment to other sri lankans thereby enriching the economy .... yet I am deemed relatively unworthy.....

yup sour grapes, but a valid argument...

[Flash_Bang]

You have a good point. Considering who have permits in here. I personally think giving Parliament ministers tax free cars is useless, It should have some rules to them. In that point definitely we have to had a permit because we brought more overseas invest to here more than they.

[Watchman]

So You blaming government for not giving you tax free rides?? Get that you and 1 million people including me earning hard money from overseas and pumping it back to SL in this very moment. BUT that isn't an excuse to claim Tax deductions.. Remember Every cents you and I deduct from our papers route through innocent citizen's pocket whom couldn't even earn Rs.500/= per day for whole family. Its your right to request, but that's the truth in SL.

For one I think you're quoting the wrong person in your response; cos he didnt say what you seem to be disagreeing with. But anyway the general notion is not that sri lankans overseas are demanding a duty free permit, but recognition for their contribution and the personal sacrifices they make.

[Kavvz]

I personally think giving Parliament ministers tax free cars is useless, It should have some rules to them.

Yeap gotta agree. I don't see why members of parliament get permits: Is it so they can buy vehicles in order to get out and meet with the people of their constituency better? If that's the case; then how come they have (often multiple) official vehicles assigned to them?

[madmax]

There was a permit given about 2 years back where you were required to deposit $150,000 in an NRFC and you were given a vehicle permit. I don't know if that's there anymore. Honestly I don't think it was worth it though.

Edited April 24, 2012 by madmax

[madmax]

OK let's look at this another way - As someone who doesn't work overseas and remit lots of greenbacks to SL I could argue that it isn't fair that permits are issued to those who do....

I bust my gut locally to work for a company that exports and therefore earns loads of dollars, why should I not get a permit too ... the same argument applies... oh and by working locally I also pay tax on my meager salary, so actually I contribute more to the economy than some SL citizens working abroad ...... The company I work for also provides employment to other sri lankans thereby enriching the economy .... yet I am deemed relatively unworthy.....

yup sour grapes, but a valid argument...

I agree. True, that people working abroad send money back home, but all your services and expertise are rendered to another country. In a way government servant and tax payer permits are justified. For example my dad could've stayed back in the US after his Masters and made a ton of money working here, but he decided to go back and serve the country for a mere Rs. 15,000 salary till he retired in the early 2000s.

People working abroad are already getting a concession by not having to pay any taxes on foreign currency income. I think that is good enough.

Edited April 24, 2012 by madmax

[The Stig]

Yeap gotta agree. I don't see why members of parliament get permits: Is it so they can buy vehicles in order to get out and meet with the people of their constituency better? If that's the case; then how come they have (often multiple) official vehicles assigned to them?

If we question the whole parliament system it all falls apart, for an instance why are these morons in the parliament in the first place ?

[Pericles]

If we question the whole parliament system it all falls apart, for an instance why are these morons in the parliament in the first place ?

Universal franchise, and demagogy.

[The Don]

I agree. True, that people working abroad send money back home, but all your services and expertise are rendered to another country. In a way government servant and tax payer permits are justified. For example my dad could've stayed back in the US after his Masters and made a ton of money working here, but he decided to go back and serve the country for a mere Rs. 15,000 salary till he retired in the early 2000s.

People working abroad are already getting a concession by not having to pay any taxes on foreign currency income. I think that is good enough.

Madmax, there is two sides to this story. As always things are rarely black and white but more shades of grey. To be honest I think whether individuals who work abroad and remit foreign currency to Sri Lankan deserve duty concessions or not for motor vehicles is a debatable point. To be honest they already get a duty concession at the duty free, which is still there so technically there is some concession provided.

But you refer to a few other points. One related to brain drain and the other relates to taxes. Respect for your father for returning back to the country after his masters and quite a lot of people still do that. Out of curiosity may I ask how was his masters funded.

People stay back after studies or go abroad to work for many reasons, and some of these reasons are fairly justifiable. Everybody wants a better life for themselves and their families. Not everyone who goes abroad for work come from a middle class background nor do they own any assets or a roof above their heads and for that matter a motor vehicle.

I don't think you can find fault with people for wanting a better life. That is just human

And quite a lot of them after some time come back, armed with funds and knowledge which they reinvest in their countries. The resurgence of Taiwan as a powerhouse in electronics is mainly attributed to positive brain drain they got back from individuals who moved back from the US.

Another fact that is undeniable in the case of Sri Lanka is we are very much dependent on foreign currency remittances for the stability of the rupee but also to be able to maintain our ability to import goods. I wish I had a link to the articles I've read on the subject. So nobody should undermine their contribution but also the sacrifices some of these people make in the process (yes it is for themselves but still it is a sacrifice). To share my own story, when I was growing up my family went through a bad patch financially due to my father losing his job unjustly (unjustly as after nearly a decade in court he was awarded pay up to his retirement for being unjustly terminated by the court of appeal so it is a matter of record) my mother decided to take a teaching job in the Maldives. She could only put up with it for just around a year, as she could not bear to be away from her children, but it gave my family just enough support to pull out and move on to a better place.

We all have our stories

And finally you claim that people who earn their income in foreign currencies do not pay tax on their earnings. This might be the case in the middle east where there is generally no income tax, but in most other places the "foreign currency income" is taxed at the local income tax rate, unless you work for an international organisation.

[madmax]

And finally you claim that people who earn their income in foreign currencies do not pay tax on their earnings. This might be the case in the middle east where there is generally no income tax, but in most other places the "foreign currency income" is taxed at the local income tax rate, unless you work for an international organisation.

My point is you're paying taxes in the foreign country, and you do not have to pay any taxes in SL when you bring your income over.

[Scooter]

Providing, that is, that the those taxation relief laws on overseas earnt income/savings don't change overnight.

[Watchman]

My point is you're paying taxes in the foreign country, and you do not have to pay any taxes in SL when you bring your income over.

Say a person working in the US enjoys all the facilities and infrastructure the countyr offers.. Hence should pay some form of tax for it... Do you want the person who pays tax in the US to pay tax again in sri lanka? In this scenario what is the GOSL offering the said expat to ask him to pay (income)tax in return? I think GOSL should be happy such foreign exchange is even coming in rather than try to deter them from sending money to SL.

Turn the role around; say an american who works in sri lanka sends him money to his family in the US. Would you prefer him to be taxed in Sri Lanka or taxed in the US?

Edited April 26, 2012 by Watchman