Sri Lanka, April 19 -- CHEC Port City Colombo Deputy Managing Director Thulci Aluwihare PIC BY PRADEEP DILRUCKSHANA

The anticipated introduction of duty-free shopping in Colombo by April promised substantial benefits for Sri Lanka. However, the momentum for the project, led by the Port City Commission, has been abruptly halted by last-minute legislative challenges.

Mirror Business recently sat down with CHEC Port City Colombo Deputy Managing Director Thulci Aluwihare to delve into the complexities surrounding this setback.

Aluwihare sheds light on the hurdles faced, implications for investor confidence and current status of the project, which was poised to launch imminently.

Following are the excerpts from the interview:

Could you pr...