The 27th Colombo International Book Fair opened today at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) and will run until 4 October, Hiru News reported.
The fair is organised annually by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association. The ten-day event is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m., and offers discounted local and foreign publications, Sri Lanka Mirror reported.
Update: PM signals a VAT revision on books in the coming budget
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who opened the fair as chief guest, said the government is considering revising the Value Added Tax charged on books in the forthcoming budget, Hiru News reported.
The Prime Minister said the President had specifically instructed her to convey that a special revision on book taxes is anticipated through this budget, and that the government, as an administration that recognises the value of books, understands what such a change would mean for the public.
Hiru’s report does not say what the current rate on books is, what rate is under consideration, whether the revision would be a reduction or an exemption, or when the budget will be presented. No costing has been published.
Organisers push back on plastic
The Central Environmental Authority has asked visitors not to bring polythene onto the exhibition grounds in order to reduce pollution, a request Hiru attributed to CEA Chairman Professor Tilak Hewawasam. Sri Lanka Mirror reported the same appeal in the form of a call for shoppers to carry reusable, eco-friendly bags when buying books.
Organisers have advised visitors to buy tickets online to avoid queues at the venue.
Sri Lanka’s largest literary event
The book fair is the country’s biggest annual publishing event and the centrepiece of its literacy calendar, drawing crowds large enough that ticketing and entry management have become a recurring feature of the organisers’ advance guidance.
Neither outlet published stall or exhibitor counts, attendance projections, or a programme of author events for this year’s edition.
Visitors travelling to the venue should note that landslide and heavy-rain warnings remain in force across parts of the country, though Colombo itself is not under a red alert.
