Govt. denies allegations on GSP+ issue

Manjula FERNANDO and Uditha KUMARASINGHE

COLOMBO: Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris accused interested parties of waging a malicious campaign to get Sri Lanka removed from the European Union GSP + concession amidst strong efforts by the Government to win them over.

He said the EU headquarters in Brussels has been receiving hundreds of e-mails on a weekly basis soliciting Sri Lanka’s de-listing. This ‘expensive’ mail campaign is based on false allegations, he said.

“Brussels is astonished by the ferocity of the campaign,” Prof. Peiris said adding that Sri Lanka is the only country that has been targeted this way out of 15 others currently receiving the GSP+ concession from the European Union.

One of the key allegations is that Sri Lanka so far has not submitted an application for an extension of GSP+. The Minister said this allegation was totally false as there is still time for the EU to finalise rules for applying. The EU expects to make the rules for applying ready by the end of this month.

“Until the framework for applying is finalised any application is premature.”

He said the allegation that the current EU presidency, France which took over the post last month to head the body till December 31, is going to take Sri Lanka the International Court of Justice over the killing of aid workers in Muttu was ‘absolutely untrue’.

He rejected these allegations as baseless and cooked up without any proof. “There is no legal or moral base” to do so”, he added.

The Minister said the French Government was fully briefed on the Government’s stand on the ACF probe and also on the new legislation such as the Witness Protection laws brought into facilitate the on-going inquiry.

The response from the French Government had been “good and receptive”, he said.

He also refuted the allegations that the Government was alienating the West through its rigid foreign policy.

Citing the massive Arugam Bay project funded by the US and the recent Sterling Pounds 50 million development funding from Britain to build bridges as proof of continuing support by the West, he said the Government was cultivating new friends like Iran and China while strengthening traditional ties.