SOC to conduct inquiry over import of clinical waste on Wednesday

The Sectoral Oversight Commitee (SOC) on Economic Development has instructed all responsible stakeholders to appear for an inquiry over the recent import of clinical waste from UK.

“The inquiry will take place at 2 pm on Wednesday and a report would be submitted to Parliament afterwards,” SOC Chairman Harshana Rajakaruna told a news conference today (Jul 22).

Officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ports Authority, Customs Department, Environment Ministry and the Central Enviornment Authority would be summoned over this matter.

“We have learnt that the situation has reached a level where no one is responsible for importing the waste containers,” Rajakaruna pointed out.

He observed that a private company which is alleged to have imported the waste has issued a statement refuting such claims.

The parliamentarian claimed that a gazette notification indexed 1818/30 which facilitated the import of clinical waste had been issued during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2013. 

“However, we are not willing to shirk our responsibility of resolving this issue by pointing fingers at the former government,” he said adding that the current government had been elected to recitfy the errors of their predecessors.

The SOC Chairman noted that required measures such as amending the existing legislation or bringing the suspects before the law, would be taken following Wednesday’s inquiry.

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