A large shipment of food and medical items meant for displaced persons housed in refugee camps has been lying uncleared in the Colombo Port for more than a month. The 660-metric-tonne shipment arrived on the vessel “Captain Ali”.
The accumulated demurrage payable to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority now stand at a staggering Rs. 1.5 million, according to Suren J. S. Pieris, Deputy DG, Operations, Sri Lanka Red Cross.
It is understood that the delay has been caused by the volume of paperwork involved to get the approval of various state institutions to release the goods. These institutions are the Ministry of Health, the Sri Lanka Standards Institute, and the Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka.
Sources say that checking the milk foods for melamine was one reason for the delay. The Sri Lanka Red Cross hopes the required approval from the relevant institutions will arrive by Wednesday. |
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