Customs Surpasses Revenue Target Despite Decline in Vehicle Imports

05-Jul-2026

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Sri Lanka Customs has exceeded its revenue target by Rs.313 billion during the first six months of the current financial year, Senior Director of Customs and Department Spokesperson Seevali Arukgoda Chandana Punchihewa said.

Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo, he said Customs had collected Rs.1,373.7 billion by June 30 against a target of Rs.1,060.5 billion. The annual revenue target for 2026 stands at Rs.2,206 billion.

He added that Customs collected Rs.31 billion within the first two days of July, including Rs.12 billion on the second day alone. Of this, Rs.3 billion came from vehicle imports, while Rs.9 billion was generated from other imports.

Punchihewa noted that revenue from vehicle imports has begun to decline following the government's new additional tax on motor vehicles. Earlier, vehicle imports remained steady as importers who had opened Letters of Credit before the tax came into effect were exempt from the new levy.

With new imports now subject to the additional tax, mainly involving vehicles from countries such as India, overall vehicle imports have fallen. Despite this decline, he expressed confidence that Customs would surpass both this year's revenue target and last year's record collection of Rs.2.5 trillion.