Only selected veggies in plastic crates

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

“The government has taken a policy decision to transport selected vegetables in plastic crates and there will be no change in this decision. The implementation has been postponed by one month and will be done with certain changes. President Mahinda Rajapaksa intervened within 24 hours and solved all matters related to the implementation of this policy”, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing held at the Government Information Department Auditorium yesterday,

Minister Rambukwella said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa held a serious discussion with all relevant parties and came to an agreement on Wednesday in connection with the modalities. Accordingly certain items are to be exempted from the list of fruits and vegetables that should be transported using plastic crates.

Minister Rambukwella pointed out that according to the changes it is not essential to transport certain vegetables, such as, carrots using plastic crates. The details will be made clearer during next month. Many countries, including Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, are implementing the same policy. Sometime back, the idea of introducing the same method to Sri Lanka came through Minister Bandula Gunawardena for the first time.

“There is no permanent policy for everything in the world. There is no country in the world without shortcomings and mistakes. The most important thing is to intervene when problems arise and solve them promptly. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa is not in the Cabinet.

“Therefore there was no way of obtaining his views when formulating the system of implementation of the policy on transporting vegetables. But now the views of all have been considered and a better system is to be introduced, Minister Rambukwella added.