We often encounter instances where the public needs clarification on misleading news reporting, sometimes even by mainstream media outlets. Here is an investigation done by Fact Crescendo to find out the accuracy of such a news report, which had not only misled but also had undue fear to people who were already suffering due to the current economic crisis in the country.

Social Media Posts:

According to a few media reports, the government imposed a new disembarkation levy of USD 60, meaning anyone departing from Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport would be subject to this additional departure tax.

Many social media users shared screenshots of this news with similar misleading narrations.

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This is how these posts circulated widely among Facebook users.

From the responses to these posts, many users were misled into believing that a new embarkation levy of $60 had been imposed, and we received several inquiries to check these claims.

Fact Check:‍

We started our investigation by checking whether any official government sources had reported the introduction of such a new Embarkation Levy.

We noticed that a government notification was issued on January 11th with the signature of President Ranil Wickramasinghe, who is also the Minister of Finance.

This notification stated that each person departing Sri Lanka by flight from Ratmalana International Airport for one year, starting from 27th March onwards, would be liable to an embarkation levy of US$ 30.

Similarly, every person departing from Jaffna International Airport for six months starting from 12th January would be subjected to an embarkation levy of USD 30.

Furthermore, Mattala Airport will be exempted from the embarkation levy for two years from the date of commencing operations at Mahinda Rajapaksa Airport, Mattala.

Also, the announcement further stated that an embarkation levy of USD 60 would be charged by anyone traveling abroad from any other airport or shipping port in Sri Lanka, as seen below, and clarified that previously issued Extraordinary Gazettes in this regard would be rescinded.

We investigated how the embarkation levy was imposed in 2019. Accordingly, it appears that during the Yahapalana Government regime, the late Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, the Minister of Finance in 2019, had also imposed an embarkation levy of 60 USD for all who were leaving the country via sea or air routes.

Also, in the year 2022, the former Minister of Finance, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, issued an extraordinary gazette notice that every person departing from Sri Lanka by flight from Colombo International Airport Ratmalana will be subject to an embarkation levy of US$ 30, which is valid up to 26th March 2023, which explains why Ratmalana airport levy was specified from 27th March onwards from the recently issued notification by Prez. Wickremasinghe.

Similarly, the present Minister of Finance, the President of Sri Lanka, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, in an Extraordinary Gazette notice issued on December 9, 2022, stated that for two years from the date of commencing international airline operations from the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa Airport, its embarkation levy would be exempted to all passengers.

A few days after this, Ex. Gazette in December 2022, Mattala airport had commenced its international flights, almost after two years, as reported here.

We also inquired about this Embarkation Levy from Jaffna airport. They confirmed that ever since the recent commencement of its operations, an embarkation levy of US$30 had been charged to anyone departing from Jaffna airport, which was reflected in the ticket price.

Presidential Media Division

Since President Ranil Wickremasinghe is also the Finance Minister, we inquired about this matter from the Presidential Media Division. They, too, confirmed that there has not been any change in the embarkation levy imposed on people departing from Sri Lanka by air/sea and that the previous levy rates would remain unchanged.

The President's Media Division had also announced that the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) stated that the current government had not imposed a new embarkation levy of US$ 60 and that it has been in existence and was included in the airfare.

Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited

We also contacted Mr. Shehan Sumanasekara, Director of Airports and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Pvt. Ltd.

He clarified that this embarkation levy of USD 60 applies to local and foreign passengers who depart from Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake and has remained unchanged since 2019. He further said that this embarkation levy is not charged separately from the passengers and is included in the air ticket price.

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Title:Misleading reporting misled many Sri Lankans that the Government had imposed a new Embarkation Levy! Find out the facts…

Fact Check By: Pavithra Sandamali

Result: Misleading

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