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| Sunday, 12 June 2005 |
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Palm-oil : Rs. 50m Customs loss by Jayantha Sri Nissanka Government coffers have lost about Rs. 50 million in revenue from the release of two under valued palm oil shipments in contravention of the Customs (Amendment) Act No.2 of 2003. Certain Customs officials had released two consignments comprising 6,000 MTs of palm oil at an under valued price of US$ 290 a metric ton when the actual price was US $ 405. All Ceylon Customs Services Union Secretary J.A.Gunathilake had written to Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama urging him to probe into this fraud. The Union suspects that an advance of Rs. 17.05 million has already been taken by the Customs officials involved in the fraud, out of a total agreed bribe of Rs. 25 million. Even though the fraud was evidently clear, Customs officials had released the goods on a mere company guarantee. According to Section 51 A Clause 7 of the Customs (Amendment) Act 'the Director General may, except in case where fraud is suspected, allow the clearance of the goods upon furnishing security for the payment of the customs duties and other levies for which the goods may be liable'. The decision to release the two shipments on company guarantees was taken after Director General Customs (DGC) Sarath Jayathilake had consulted Director Valuation M. H. R. Tissera, Deputy Director (Post Clearance and Audit) and Superintendent of Post Clearance and Audit (PAC), according to a letter written by Superintendent of PCA. Director Valuation M. H. R. Tissera who had first held up the two consignments suspecting under valuation, authorised the Superintendent and Deputy Director PAC to release the consignments on a company guarantee measuring the weight. DGC Sarath Jayathilake replying to Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama had justified the release of the consignment stating: "In order to reject declared values we have to prove the declared values are not acceptable under the law. At the time of importation of these consignments this department did not have any evidence to reject the declared values". But the DGC has forgotten that many similar consignments had been imported during this period at a cost of 400 US Dollars a metric ton. When asked why the two shipments were released DGC Jayathilake said "at the time Customs had only a price list but not actual prices paid or payable". Jayathilake said that there were inadequate facts at that time and now information is available. Two officials have gone to Malaysia to collect information and the inquiry will be concluded soon, he added. |
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