January 22, Colombo (LNW): The Customs Trade Union Alliance (CTUA) has formally stated that it will not accept responsibility for the contents of 323 containers that were flagged by the computer system for mandatory inspection but were subsequently cleared and released by the government.
The union raised concerns about the potential for serious issues regarding the safety and legality of the goods in these containers, which were not subjected to the required scrutiny.
CTUA President Amila Sanjeeva addressed the media today (22), making it clear that the union would not be held accountable if any of the 323 containers are found to contain substandard goods.
These could include medicines that have been rejected by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), cosmetic products deemed unsafe for use, illegal cigarettes, prohibited drugs, or even weapons.
The 323 containers, originally flagged with a red label by the customs computer system, were marked for closer inspection due to potential risks.
However, despite this, they were cleared for release without undergoing the thorough checks that the system had indicated were necessary.
Approximately 80 per cent of the goods in these containers were supposed to undergo mandatory customs examination, raising significant alarm over the lack of due diligence in the release process, Sanjeeva pointed out.
The CTUA has called into question the authority of those who authorised the release of these containers.
The union is demanding clarification from the government regarding which legal provisions allowed such a large number of red-labelled containers to bypass inspection.
The decision to clear these containers without proper checks has raised concerns about potential risks to public safety and the integrity of customs operations.
