Singapore-SL FTA revenue protection not yet gazetted but published by Treasury

Aug 16, 2018 (LBO) – Department of Trade & Investment Policy has not yet published the extraordinary gazette pertaining to the revenue protection order which deals with the preferential rates applicable to the Singapore - Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. A preferential rate is leviable and payable under the Singapore - Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement but the order has not yet published in the official website of the Department of Government Printing which has the authority to publish gazettes. When contacted, an official at the Department of Government Printing said the relevant gazette notification will be published in their website soon after scanning the document. There is, however, a document titled as 2069-2 Revenue Protection Order No. 03-2018 uploaded to the Treasury website detailing the HS codes related to the Free Trade Agreement. According to that document, 3,539 imported goods from Singapore will not be entitled to any customs duty. Prior to the Agreement duties were imposed on goods imported from Singapore under 7041 heads. 50 percent of those have been removed through this gazette while 15 percent more will be removed in six years’ time and a further 15 percent will be removed in another six years’ time under the FTA. It seems the Department of Trade & Investment Policy has obtained a gazette number from the Department of Government Printing without sending the actual gazette to them. Government institutions have a practice of asking for reserved gazette numbers from the Department of Government Printing without actually sending them for publishing thus creating complications like this. (NOTE: Department of Government Printing has published the relevant gazette notification in their website after we carried the news.) The document published by the Treasury is attached below. 2069-2 Revenue Protection Order No. 03-2018