Tourism – restricting outflow of foreign exchange -by G. A. D. Sirimal

Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranatunga, has declared the arrival of large numbers of foreign tourists here. He says about 82,327 of them came here in January, bringing in much needed foreign exchange. Has the Minister found out how much dollars these tourists have brought in and how much has been spent in Sri Lanka?

Except those who come on business and stay in five-star hotels, other tourists spend very little.

Some female tourists overstay their visas and engage in sex trade.

I wish to relate an experience, when I visited Russia to attend a seminar conducted by ESCAP in 1985, when Russia’s economy was poor.

ESCAP had deposited a certain sum in dollars with the organiers in Russia to meet payments to delegates and this amount was converted to Russian currency – rubles and paid to delegates in rubles.

I too received my share, paid my bills, made purchases and on my return after two weeks I had some rubles left which I wanted to cash to dollars. This was refused by the authorities. As I could not cash rubles in Sri Lanka as well, I handed over the rubles to the officer from our embassy in Russia who came to see me off.

I have conveyed this experience of mine in a letter personally addressed to the Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Navard Cabraal, Secretary to the Treasury, S. R. Attygala and to Secretary to the President Gamini Senerath requesting them to bring it to the notice of President Gotahaya Rajapaksa to take whatever action in any manner similar to what I had experienced.

G. A. D. Sirimal

BORALESGAMUWA