The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) has issued a clarification on the newly Gazetted embarkation levy for persons leaving from selected international airports or seaports of Sri Lanka, stating that it had been included in the airfare previously. 

The Chairman of the CAASL said that the current government has not imposed new embarkation levies.

Pointing out that the embarkation levies have been in existence, the CAASL Chairman further said the Gazette only outlines the levies that had been included in the airfare.

The CAASL Chairman’s calcification comes after the government issued a new Gazette notification outlining new embarkation levies for persons leaving Sri Lanka from selected international airports or seaports countrywide.

The Gazette was issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, with effect from 12th January 2023.

The new regulations are to be implemented to generate greater revenue for the Treasury at the expense of foreign exchange earnings from tourism and foreign remittances.

As per the Gazette, an embarkation levy of US$ 30 is to be charged to a person leaving Sri Lanka from the Colombo International Airport in Ratmalana within the period from 26th March 2022 to 27th March 2023.

An embarkation levy of US$ 30 is to be charged to any person leaving Sri Lanka via the Jaffna International Airport within the period from 1st January 2023 to 11th July 2023.

An embarkation levy of US$ 60 will be charged to persons leaving via the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. An embarkation levy of US$ 60 will also be levied on persons leaving Sri Lanka via any of its seaports.

However, the embarkation levy for persons leaving the Mattala Airport in Hambantota is free for a period of two years from the date of commencement of operations by an international airline.