In a statement shared on social media, Sabry said the surcharge was necessary to protect the country’s scarce foreign exchange reserves at a time of increasing external pressures and economic vulnerability.
He also welcomed the Government’s decision to exempt Letters of Credit (LCs) opened on or before May 15, 2026, stating that the measure provides fairness and certainty to importers already facing significant challenges.
According to Sabry, the exemption helps prevent retrospective complications and reduces the risk of arbitrary administrative difficulties for businesses that had already initiated import transactions.
He stressed that Sri Lanka’s economic recovery remains highly vulnerable to global conflicts and geopolitical instability, which continue to disrupt energy markets, trade routes, supply chains, tourism, investor confidence, and international financing conditions.
Sabry further noted that smaller import-dependent economies such as Sri Lanka often bear a disproportionate burden during periods of global conflict and economic disruption.
Calling for peaceful resolutions to international conflicts, he said Sri Lanka and other like-minded nations must continue to encourage diplomacy, negotiations, and dialogue instead of escalation and war, emphasizing that ordinary people in vulnerable countries suffer the greatest economic and human consequences.
