130 garbage containers released to Hayleys Free Zone: Customs
A total 130 out of 241 garbage containers imported from the UK had been released by Customs to the Hayleys Free Zone company and were found in the Hayleys storage premises in the Katunayake Export Processing Zone 4, Customs officials said yesterday.
Speaking to the media, Customs Director-General Sunil Jayaratne said the remaining 111 garbage containers were still at the Colombo port. “Only the 130 containers which were found at the Hayleys Free Zone premises were cleared from the port,” he said.
Customs investigations further revealed that two more BOI-registered companies had been involved in the garbage import.
Mr Jayaratne said a company named of ETL Colombo had been contracted to import the containers, and another named Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation was also involved in the transaction. He said 130 containers had been taken to a processing zone inside the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and 10 containers had been re-exported.
Customs Director Lal Weerakkody told the media that after concluding their investigations they would inform all parties to appear before an inquiry.
He added that import documents show that Hayley’s Free Zone was also registered under the BOI.
Mr Weerakkody said since the other parties showed no intention of removing the remaining containers they were being held at the Colombo port. He noted that the bill of landing identifies the shipment consignee as ETL Colombo Pvt. Ltd. and Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation Pvt. Ltd.
A communique issued by the BOI said Hayleys Free Zone had imported 130 containers of used mattresses and carpets for re-export from the UK in October 2017.
(Source: Daily Mirror – By Chaturanga Samarawickrama)
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Now we know how Presidential Aspirant Dhammika Perera, Chairman and Majority Shareholder of Hayleys, made his billions from !!!!
It is a very simple process ti find the receiver. My allegations are towards customs who hide the details of more than 100 waste containers there by making Sri Lanka in danger. Pet some one for his billions of wealth and driving country to a danger is very pathetic. Customs should immediately take action to publish the name of the receiver where President and the Environmental seem to be no concern at all about this severe issue. We were a country who were bombed and lost 250 lives through negligence of Government. Therefore I invite all institutions work knowing their responsibility. As a professional Civil Engineer having MSc in Environmental Engineering and Management from University of Moratuwa I could imagine the danger. A n average person may not imagine it to such an extent.
When I write a very good comment It says duplicate comment The problem is Environmental Minister may have no knowledge about the subject. What can we do
Why do you keep a space to comment. If you do not allow us to comment
Some say the final resting place for this UK rubbish will be ‘Muthu-Raaja-Wela’. Environmentalists, Nawa parapura, NGOs, Community leaders, Religious leaders, where you guys hiding.
Hayleys had a reputation of polluting Kaluganga near Narathupana when they put up a factory to process textiles. After a lot of protests they did put up a pool to contain the effluents which was far from adequate an it was so close to the river the prospect of seeping from the pool likely.
The river once upon a time served communities living along the river don’t bathe in the polluted river and most likely it is dead.
Most likely that Hayleys would process this garbage at the same plant at Narathupana is most likely for they have free access of water from the river is never monitored.!
Those who support Hayleys project claim that it provides employment but then they have yes it may serve a few hundred when the majority of those living have been made destitute. The large tea and rubber estates have closed down, small holder rubber cultivation have been abandoned and tea small holders have no factories to sell their green leaf to.
Mean while the environmental authority has been silent about Hayleys activities there. They no longer monitor the factory effluents running into Kalu ganga.
Yes Hayles have run out of raw materials to run their factories and the only source is free garbage from UK and what does Ngananda plan to do with Hayleys! or for those aspiring to represent people as parliamentarians or the president.
Well done Sriyani Mangalika and Sama Gunawardane.
Importing waste for processing appears to be a legitimate business.
However, handling that waste and operation of the Narathupana Plant should be regulated carefully by the Ministry and Dept of Environmental Affairs.
The Environmental Management Plants for handling and processing of the waste material should be extensive and include measures that will eliminate pollution at various stages of the process.
The implementation of the EMP’s should be monitored by independent agencies either directly under Govt or by licenced providers.
Management of the EMP’s through the media leads to sensation.