A Cement Corporation warehouse was sealed by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) following complaints that cement imported from Pakistan was being re-packed for sale although its expiry date has reportedly lapsed.
CAA officials raided the Panchikawatte warehouse where they found some 7,000 cement bags and sealed the place.
They said the raid took place following a tipoff and they found workers repacking the cement imported from Pakistan in new bags. “The expiry date of the cement from Pakistan had lapsed,” one official who took part in the raid said.
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| The warehouse that was raided. Right: An employee is seen with bags of cement imported from Pakistan. Pix by Athula Devapriya |
“Once the expiry date had lapsed on any consignment of cement it should be discarded. Investigations on this incident will continue,” the official said. The bags did not have the original seal but were sealed in a manner that aroused suspicion, he said.
CAA Deputy Director Asela Bandara who led the raid, however, declined to comment.
Repeated attempts to contact CAA Chairman Rumy Marzook proved futile as his mobile phone was switched off. A person who answered the land phone at his residence said Mr. Marzook had gone out.
Cement Corporation Chairman Sisira Paranagama said the sticker on the bags gave the manufacturing date as March 12 and accordingly the expiry date should be June 12. “Since we were not sure whether the cement could still be used we will be sending samples to the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) tomorrow,” he said.
Mr. Paranagama said re-packing was being carried out only of cement in damaged bags at the time of the raid.
In August last year, the Sunday Times quoting Customs officials reported that a large quantity of cement imported from Pakistan by the Sri Lanka National Co-operatives Board had been surreptitiously released to the market without quality certification,
Cement Corporation Chairman Sisira Paranagama said the sticker on the bags gave the manufactured date as March 12 and accordingly the expiry date should be June 12.
“Since we were not sure whether the cement could still be used we will be sending samples to the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) tomorrow,” he said.
Mr. Paranagama said re-packing was being carried out only of cement in damaged bags at the time of the raid.
In August last year, the Sunday Times quoting Customs officials reported that a large quantity of cement imported from Pakistan by the Sri Lanka National Co-operatives Board had been surreptitiously released to the market without quality certification. |
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