Court for Customs to prevent decay of cargo

Channa Kasturisinghe

VISIT: The Government is planning to set up a special court for the Customs Department enabling speedy clearance of cargo under customs investigations and litigation, Deputy Finance Minster Ranjit Siyambalapitiya said.

The Deputy Minister yesterday inspected cargo worth millions of rupees decaying in Customs warehouses located inside the Colombo Port. He said he would submit a report to the President on this matter who would subsequently present a proposal to the Cabinet to set up a Dedicated Court for the Customs.

Customs officials yesterday showed Minister Siyambalapitiya valuable cargo ranging from motor vehicles to food items stored in the warehouses, most of which are in a state of decadence.

The Director General of Customs Sarath Jayatilake told the Minister that the items could not be released due to Customs investigations and Court cases which are dragging on for several years. The value of some items such as textiles and electrical items has reduced to zero lying for years in Customs warehouses. The warehouses of the Customs are also in a dilapidated state and are not suitable for storing such items.

“The pending court cases with regard to these items which brought into this country, most of the times illegally and sometimes legally, have been delayed indefinitely. “If these cases are heard at a special court dedicated to the Customs we would be able to expedite the release of these items. By doing so we can also save millions of rupees,” Minister Siyambalapitiya said.

He said that setting up of a dedicated court alone would not solve the problem. “However, it is vital that we improve the warehouse facilities in the Customs Department,” Siyambalapitiya said.

M. S. M. Niyaz of the Association of Clearing and Forwarding Agents told the Daily News that there is an urgent need to improve warehouse facilities in the Colombo Port.