COLOMBO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's plan to extend the list of countries which will be exempted from paying ETA visa fees is still awaiting implementation, government officials confirmed.
Responding to questions at the weekly cabinet press briefing, cabinet spokesperson and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath said the process will move forward once the required gazette is tabled in Parliament.
"We have to submit the new gazette notification to Parliament first. After that, the implementation will begin. We expect to finalize it within the next one or two months," he said.
The minister cited advice and clarification required from the Attorney General as the cause of the delay, according to local new outlet EconomyNext.
In July, Sri Lanka announced that it will add another 33 countries to the list of countries exempted from paying ETA visa fees in a bid to facilitate recovery in its tourism sector. At present, only holders of ordinary, diplomatic, official, or service passports from seven countries, namely China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand, are eligible for a free ETA.
The move was expected to encourage higher tourist arrivals and strengthen economic activity through increased foreign exchange earnings. ■
