The customs yesterday conceded that they blundered in the issue of allowing imports of Indian tomatoes without quarantine tests as some 5,000 kilos of imported tomatoes were introduced to the market.
Customs Director General Sudharma Karunarathne said the duty officer had failed to refer the matter to the Quarantine Department though the required duty had been paid for the stock. “The duty officer was a new recruit,” she said, but added that an inquiry into the matter was in progress.
The Agriculture Ministry also has ordered an inquiry into the imports after farmers complained about the possible threat of disease and the impact on the local market at the time when they were getting a good price for their produce after a good harvest.
Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said the imports were illegal as the quarantine tests had not been carried out on the stock of imported tomatoes.
As the Agriculture Ministry and the Customs inquiry got underway, the trader involved in the imports said that the stock had been sold in the Dambulla market.
The businessman G. Ahamad said he had paid the required duty and therefore had not violated any laws.However, in Dambulla on Friday the imported tomatoes were being hurriedly disposed of before the Police moved in. The imported stocks were being transferred from plastic crates into locally manufactured wooden boxes to give the impression that the tomatoes were from the local farmers, reports said.
The Indian tomatoes were being sold at Rs. 70 a kilogram affecting the local traders who were forced to throw their stocks into garbage dumps.
Meanwhile, the Port Authority’s Quarantine Department Chief S.K. Weerakoon said that the law prohibited the import of fruits and vegetables except in some exceptional situations.
She said that in this case the Customs did not refer the matter to the Quarantine Department. |
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