Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Janith Ruwan Kodithuwakku, has stated that around 25 to 30 cargo ships that arrived in Sri Lanka have reportedly turned back due to delays in container clearance.
He made this statement during an inspection tour of the Rank Container Terminals (RCT) in Orugodawatta today (15).
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake convened a meeting last Sunday (12) with relevant parties to discuss the delays in clearing containers at the port.
During the meeting, customs officers had agreed to work 24 hours a day and seven days a week in order to resolve the issue.
The Container Transport Owners’ Association has noted that the clearance process has expedited following the discussions.
However, long queues of container trucks are still visible near the Orugodawatta customs yard.
Meanwhile, the Association of Clearing & Forwarding Agents (ACFA) has pointed out that to further expedite the clearance process, all institutions involved in it must provide 24-hour services.
