Sri Lanka

Brief Fact File

Capital	Colombo
Currency	Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Language(s)	Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% Note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population.
Local time	GMT + 06:00
Telephone code	94
Major cities	Jaffna, Kandy, Galle, Trincomalee

Economy
Sri Lanka's dynamic sectors are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In the year 2003 the plantation crops only accounted for 15% of exports, while textiles and garments made up to 63%. The country suffered from civil unrest for two decades. After the ceasefire between The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government in the year 2002, business is focused on modernising agriculture, developing infrastructure and promoting domestic industrial output. In the late December 2004, the country suffered highly due to tsunami which took about 31,000 lives and destroyed an estimated $ 1.5 billion worth of property.

Major Exports:

• Textiles And Apparel
  
• Tea And Spices
  
• Diamonds and jewellery
  
• Agriculture products
  
• Food, beverages and tobacco
  
• Emeralds
  
• Rubies
  
• Coconut Products
  
• Leather, rubber, paper, wood and ceramics
  
• Fish
  
• Petroleum products
  
• Machinery, mechanical and electrical appliances

Major Imports:

• Textiles and clothing
  
• Mineral Products
  
• Petroleum
  
• Food and beverages
  
• Wheat
  
• Machinery And Transportation Equipment
  
• Chemicals
  
• Building materials

Business Practices

Business Dress
Business dress can be formal or casual. Light weight suits and shirts and trousers do fine for the warmer months.

Communication Guidelines
Appointments are necessary and it is considered polite to arrive punctually. It is usual to exchange visiting cards on first meetings.

Business Hour
9.00 am to 1.00 pm (Monday-Friday). In larger cities, many banks are open until 4 pm, and some are also open on Saturday morning.

Important Contacts

Associations / Ministries
Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Government of Sri Lanka
Rakshana Mandiraya, 7th Floor
21, Vauxhall Street, Colombo 02
Tel.: +(94)-(1)-2312312
Fax: +(94)-(1)-2447669
Website: http://www.commerce.gov.lk

Indian Embassy / Counsulate

Embassy of India
High Commission of India
36-38, Galle Road
Colombo 03
Tel.: +(94)-(11)-2327587, 2422788, 2421605
Fax: +(94)-(11)-2446403/8166
Website: http://www.indiahcsl.org

Visiting this Country

Business Visa Rules for Sri Lanka

• There should be at least 6 months of validity left on the passport beyond the intended stay in Sri Lanka. There must be at least one blank visa page. Amendment pages do not count.
  
• One Visa Application Form for Sri Lanka, completed in full.
  
• Two passport size photographs are required.
  
• Confirmed flight itinerary or copies of the round trip air tickets are required.
  
• Letter of Invitation from company in Sri Lanka must be faxed to The Embassy of Sri Lanka, stating the name of the applicant, confirming the business trip and supplying the type of business and address of company in Sri Lanka. For stays of more than 7 days, the letter must be sent via the Immigration Department in Colombo.
  
• Business Letter on company letterhead detailing of the nature of visit, including the dates of stay, hotel information and addresses, organization to be visited in the country and a financial guarantee from the company, signed by a senior manager

Public Holidays

Festival	Date	Detail
Tamil Thai Pongal Day		Date Varies
Id-Ul-Allah (Feast of Sacrifice)		Date Varies
Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
National Day	February 4
Navam Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Maha Sivarathri		Date Varies
Good Friday		Date Varies
Medin Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Sinhala & Tamil New Year's Eve		Date Varies
Sinhala & Tamil New Year's Day		Date Varies
The Prophet's Birthday		Date Varies
Bak Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
May Day	May 1
May Day Bank Holiday	May 2	Bank + Other
Vesak Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Poson Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Esala Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Nikini Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Binara Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Vap Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Deepavali		Date Varies
Id-Ul-Fitr (End of Ramada)		Date Varies
Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Unduwap Full Moon Poya Day		Date Varies
Christmas	December 25
Christmas Bank Holiday	December 26	Bank + Others

Travel Tips

• Tipping is optional. Most hotels do include a service charge of 10%.
  
• There is no departure tax.
  
• Passengers aged 18 years or above can carry without incurring customs duty, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 340g of tobacco; 2 bottles of wine and 1.5l of spirits; a small quantity of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette.
  
• Avoid demonstrations and large public gatherings as they sometimes turn violent.
  
• Violent crime against foreigners has increased. Policing in the remote areas are hampered by lack of resources and poor infrastructure.
  
• Petty crime like pick-pocketing and bag snatching are common.
  
• Flooding and landslides may occur in monsoon season i.e. between December to March and May to October.
  
• Posing for a photgraph next to Buddha statues is an offence.
  
• Standard of medical and ancillary treatment is poor. It is recommended to take out comprehensive travel insurance that covers overseas medical costs.
  
• Suncrean and hats are a must.