Navy to assist Customs

IRANGIKA RANGE

Finance and State Revenue Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that the Government has vested power with the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Customs to inspect all types of containers arriving in the Colombo Harbour.

Addressing a press-briefing in Colombo yesterday, the Minister said it has decided to provide more security to the Sri Lanka Customs to carry out its operations in an effective manner on special instructions given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at meeting with the officials of the Sri Lanka Customs last week.

Several vehicles that have been confiscated through the raids by the Sri Lanka Customs will be handed over to the Sri Lanka Army to implement the development activities in North and East on a special request by the President.

He further said that three institutions - Sri Lanka Customs, the Board of Investment and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority will interact to formulate a main data system to streamline the operations of the containers.

He said that both ship and sub ship agents will be registered under the new project. Meanwhile, trade unions of the Sri Lanka Customs have submitted a number of proposals to make the Customs a profit-making organisation. “We will consider these set of proposals which will lead the organisation towards success,” the Minister said.

Steps have also been taken to streamline the promotions of the employees of the Sri Lanka Customs. “We will recruit new 100 Custom officials and 200 superintendents to enhance the operations of the Customs,” he said.