Sri Lanka Ports has violated customs regulations in importing 27 cranes for the Jaya Container Terminal of the Port of Colombo by failing to pay penalties customs running up to millions of rupees during the Rajapksa regime, a recent audit inspection revealed.
In order to improve the efficiency and productivity at the container terminals, 3 gantry cranes and 6 transfer cranes and another 03 gantry cranes and 24 transfer cranes had been imported to Sri Lanka at the end of April 2011.
In addition, 50 prime movers have been added to the fleet in order to enhance the productivity of discharging, loading, shifting, and marshalling, related to inter and intra transportation of containers.
A massive penalty amounting to Rs.1,580 million had been imposed in respect of imported 27 cranes without informing the Sri Lanka Customs in the year 2011 as a result of an arbitrary decision taken by then Ports Authority chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrama.
According to the Section 165 of the custom ordinance, receiving a decision of customs examination within a month of an appeal can be presented to the Minister of Finance against the imposition of the penalty.
Such an appeal had not been presented to the Minister of Finance to get a relief relating to the penalty. Furthermore, a case is being adjudicated in the Supreme Court, the Auditor Generals Department said.
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