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Sheron
Sheron
Apr 19 2026
56- Revenue surpasses targets set at beginning of year
- Container traffic into SL remains at expected levels
- No significant decline in shipping traffic
Sri Lanka Customs has recorded revenue of Rs. 743.6 billion in the lead-up to the 2026 Sinhala and Tamil New Year, surpassing targets set at the beginning of the year, according to Sri Lanka Customs Media Spokesperson and Director Chandana Punchihewa.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Punchihewa stated that despite challenging external market conditions, container traffic to the country had remained at expected levels, with revenue collections continuing to exceed initial projections.
He noted that as of 9 April, the estimated revenue target stood at Rs. 687.8 billion, while actual collections had reached Rs. 743.6 billion.
Punchihewa further stated that notwithstanding global shipping disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing Middle East crisis, Sri Lanka had not experienced a significant decline in shipping traffic. In fact, ports recorded substantial container volumes in the days leading up to the New Year.
He added that according to terminal operators, the Middle East crisis had contributed to an increase in re-export cargo being routed through Sri Lanka, resulting in higher volumes of containers being unloaded locally before onward shipment to their final destinations.
“Containers that were originally scheduled to be shipped directly to the Middle East are now being offloaded and rerouted to their respective destinations,” he explained.
Sri Lanka Customs has been assigned a revenue target of Rs. 2,206 billion for 2026, lower than the Rs. 2,540.3 billion collected in 2025, reflecting an anticipated decline in vehicle import volumes.
source: The Morning
