Check on cocaine blocks Rs. 3 b worth of sugar in Colombo Port

• SLSIA calls on Govt. assistance to clear genuine 1,200 containers stuck in Colombo Port since November

By Charumini de Silva

The recent detection of cocaine has left a bitter taste for sugar importers with over 1,200 containers worth Rs. 3 billion held up at the Colombo Port, forcing the trade to call for relief from the Government.

The containers have been held up at the Colombo Port since November last year as Customs declared Brazil a high-risk country and consequently enforced one full-scale inspection on a bag-by-bag basis.

“This delay in clearing containers is no fault of the importers as the cocaine was detected in the containers of two importers for which they were not responsible,” the Sri Lanka Sugar Importers Association told the Daily FT.

They said that the importers were unaware of such contraband in the containers adding that importers have fully cooperated and supported Custom officials and the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) to make more detections despite it getting in the way of their businesses. 

As a result of the rigid screening process by officials importers now have to incur additional costs for handling charges which are a minimum of Rs. 3 per kilogramme for every kilogramme of sugar that has been imported.

“Under these circumstances, with great hardship, we earnestly appeal to the Government to expedite the requested waiver of port rent and screening procedures as it has already caused tightness in the supply and these stocks badly need to be distributed to the consumer during the forthcoming Sinhala Tamil New Year,” he stressed.

Pettah wholesale traders are selling sugar at Rs. 105 at present.

According to the SLSIA, the country’s sugar requirement per day is around 60 containers and Sri Lanka imports over 550,000 tonnes per annum.