Hayleys denies garbage import allegations

Hayleys Free Zone Ltd, a subsidiary of Hayleys Advantis PLC on Monday firmly refuted allegations that they imported garbage to Sri Lanka.

At a media conference in Colombo on Monday, the company addressed media reports pertaining to 109 container loads of used mattresses now stored at the Hayleys Free Zone (HFZ) yard at Katunayake Export Processing Zone with officials saying that the mattresses were not imported by them, but Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd (CMPC).

HFZ established under the Commercial Hub Regulation Act No.1 of 2013 operates as an offshore location to provide logistics services to global clients, mainly to offer storage and value added services for re-export, they said noting that they cater to more than 100 clients, of whom CMPC, is one. 

HFZ entered into an agreement with the freight forwarder ETL Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, which was appointed by Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, to process and re-export the mattresses.

“We are not involved in any way or manner with the said containers presently lying at the Port of Colombo. We are not the importer or consignee or logistics services provider in respect of the said containers. This shipment was consigned to Hayleys Free Zone by the freight forwarder ETL Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, as per the Hub Regulation where it states that any cargo arriving at the Free Zone premises must be consigned to the Free Zone operator,” Ruwan Waidyaratne, Managing Director, HFZ told journalists.

He said that HFZ Ltd had no connection to the 102 containers with alleged medical waste.  (DEC)