News
Phone accessory business collapsing; appeals fall on deaf ears
View(s):Pic and text by Rekha Tharangani Fonseka
The suspension of the import of 300 items to ease the country’s financial burden is having an impact on the mobile phone accessory business also.
Through a recent gazette notification, the government suspended the import of non-essential items such as electronic items, cosmetics, building materials, deodorants, shampoos, dental floss and various clothing items.
Pettah traders said they were faced with the threat of losing their businesses, with the high cost of the already available stocks of phone accessories.They said that though the government regarded phone accessories as non-essential, they had become essential.
“With the skyrocketing prices of electronic and electrical items, most people tend to do window-shopping rather than buying these items,” one trader said.
Most Pettah traders said they were managing their businesses by obtaining loans at daily interest.
They said that under such conditions, the collapse of their daily income has had a severe impact on their family life.
They said the imposition of the ban on imports had a negative impact on the economy which is facing a severe collapse.
“We have come to a situation where we are unable to continue our businesses. Those who took the decision to ban the import of 300 consumer items do not realise the situation,” one trader said.
The traders said they earlier earned about Rs. 150,000 a day and now it had been drastically reduced to Rs. 20,000.
They said the Government was struggling to save dollars but the decision to ban these items was not a move.
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