• Implementation of policies, plans in respect of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs
• Trade Development
• Overseas Trade
• Administration of the Mahapola Scholarship Programme conducting of Mahapola Trade Fairs.

• Department of Commerce
• Department of the Registrar of Companies
• Department of Measurement Units, Standards and Services
• Department of Import & Export Control
• Department of Food Commissioner
• National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka
• Consumer Affairs Authority
• STC General Trading Co. Ltd
• Co-operative Wholesale Establishment
• Lanka Salusala Ltd
• STC Medical Ltd
• Mahapola Higher Education Scholarships Trust Fund
• Sri Lanka Automated Cargo Clearance System (SLACCS)

• To the Chairman of Consumer Affairs Authority

• Department of Commerce.

• This Department is the central state agency under the Ministry charged with the function of conduct, development and promotion of Sri Lanka's foreign trade relations at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. The thrust of its core functions have been set out as follows in the mission statement :-

• "Development and promotion of Sri Lanka's Foreign Trade Relations at Bilateral (with individual countries), Regional (with Regional Integration Arrangements like SAPTA, Bangkok Agreements) and Multilateral (WTO, UNCTAD and other international Forums etc), by the effective implementation of Government Trade Policy, with a view to raising the standards of living and realizing a higher quality of life through the increase of total production, income and employment levels, thereby actively contributing to the overall economic growth of Sri Lanka".

Services provided by the DOC include:

• Issuance of Certificates of Origin (COO) under GSP, GSTP, SAPTA, ISFTA and Bangkok Agreement
• National Focal point for WTO, UNCTAD, ITC,CFC, ITCB,CEC, SAPTA, ESCAP etc.
• Organizing National seminars /Conferences on international trade
• Creating awareness among the public through dissemination of vital information and knowledge
• Trade promotion / Trade Representation Abroad
• Trade inquiries
• Handling trade complaints
• Issuing recommendations for resident visas
• Approval of credit agencies under the Mortgage Act.
• Data bank

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• A Certificate of Origin (COO) is a document which is used for certification that the products exported are wholly obtained, produced or manufactured in a country of origin. It is generally an integral part of the export documents. A Certificate of Origin, apart from indicating the country of origin of the export products, enables the exporting countries to obtain specific import tariff concessions from the importing countries.
  

•       DOC has been designated to issue Certificates of Origin under the schemes of GSP, GSTP, ISFTA, SAPTA and Bangkok Agreement etc,. Exports from Sri Lanka are entitled for tariff preferences in the importing countries if the shipments are accompanied by COO as issued by the DOC in the importing countries under the above tariff schemes.

• Charges for the issuance of certificates of origin are as follows:

• Initial registration of companies for certificate of origin - Rs 4500/- per Company
  ( one time payment)
• Issuance of certificate of origin - Rs 400/- per certificate
• Cancellation of certificate origin and issue a fresh certificate - Rs 400/- per certificate
• Issue of duplicate of COO - Rs 400/- per certificate
• Issue of additional copy of COO - Rs 200/- per certificate

The Time Schedule is as follows:

• The Policy Branch of the Department of Commerce accepts the duly completed certificate/s together with the payment receipt for authorization from
  9.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.00pm to 2.30 pm and the certificates of origin are issued on the same day.
• Certificate/s handed over to the Policy Division between 2.30-3.30pm will be issued only on the following day.
• The certificates submitted for airfreight consignments are issued on the same day. However, the exporters are advised to submit their certificates before 3.30 pm the latest.
• The Cash Counter (Cashier) is open only from 9.30am to 12.30 pm and 1.00pm to 3.30 pm.

• You must incorporate your company within 3 months of name approval. Failure to do so will cancel you company name from the database. You will then need re-apply for a company name from the beginning.

• First you have to decide the Company Name

• Once you verify the availability of the Name, fill the Name search form (i.e. A16). You can simultaneously submit a draft copy of the Memorandum & Articles of Association. Or this could be submitted at a later date after the name is approved.

• The form A 16 and the Memorandum & Articles of Association are examined by at the public information counter. More information will be requested depending on the manner in which the forms have been filled. This may be done by e-mail. If the name includes initials they will ask for what the initials stand for.

• Once the name and the Memorandum & Articles of Association are approved the requestor has to submit forms 5, 36A, 46 and 47 and two copes of the approved Memorandum & Articles of Association. A fee of Rs. 135 will be charged for each form on submission.

• The incorporation fee based on the authorized share capital and charges for stamps, as well as the fee for the Articles of Association should be paid at this point.

• Declaration of Compliance
  

• Intended Location Of Registered Office

• Consent To Act As A Director

The incorporation fee based on the authorized share capital and charges for stamps, as well as the fee for the Articles of Association should be paid at this point.

Current Fee for Name Request - Rs.265

Incorporation Fees by Number of Members