Colombo Port container space restricted due to importers’ clearing delay – Customs

The space in the port’s container terminal has been severely restricted due to the delay on the part of importers and their agents in clearing 603 containers released by the Customs, Customs Media Spokesman Seevali Arukgoda said.

He said Sri Lanka Customs has started a special programme on President’s instructions to end the delay in container clearance at Colombo Port.

“Accordingly, 459 containers were released from Colombo Port on Monday and 242 containers were released from RCT, Grayline 1 and 2 yards after completion of inspection,” he added.

Arukgoda said Customs can inspect and release around 500 containers per day, but due to reduced presence of clearance agents and vehicle drivers, the quantity that can be cleared remained low.   He said as of yesterday morning, gate permits had been issued but 496 containers are left in the port to be released to the cargo inspection yard.

He added that the delay in clearing containers released by the Customs by importers and their agents too was hampering the clearing process.

Although January14 was a holiday, the Customs and other related Government agencies were engaged in the activities of releasing the documents, he also said.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during a meeting held recently at the Presidential Secretariat with representatives from Sri Lanka Customs and port-related service providers, reached several important agreements aimed at resolving the ongoing delays in the clearance of imported containers.

The President instructed officials to take immediate action to eliminate the delays within the next four days.

To expedite the clearance process, Sri Lanka Customs officers agreed to operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, a five-acre plot of land in the Bloemendhal area was allocated for storing containers pending investigation, with plans to release two acres by January 31 and the remaining portion by February 28. Addressing the issue of congestion caused by idle container vehicles at port terminals, the Government agreed to provide land in the Peliyagoda area for parking these vehicles, thereby easing the traffic at the terminals.

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