Noting that Sri Lanka is losing a big chunk of foreign exchange due to the illegal importation of mobile phones into the country, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya stressed that the Ministry of Finance will take immediate measures to prevent it.
The Minister said this during a discussion with mobile phone importers that was held yesterday (31) at the Ministry of Finance, adding that although the IMEI numbers of mobile phones imported through legal channels are registered with the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), phones that are brought down illegally aren't being registered at all.
Pointing out that this could also create security risks, the Minister has instructed relevant authorities to submit a report by Monday on measures that can be taken to prevent the illegal importation of mobile phones.
Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara had also intervened to stop the smuggling of unregistered mobile phones into Sri Lanka after the Mobile Phone Importers Association had apprised him regarding an organized racket.
