Vijitha Herath visits Colombo Port: Employees reveal irregularities in container clearances

• Daily clearances drastically dropped from 1,800-2,000 last year to 300-400 now, despite having the same workforce

By Ajith Siriwardana  

Minister Vijitha Herath made a visit to the Colombo Port on Thursday where so many issues and irregularities including a delay in container clearances came to light.  

The employees of the Port revealed that there have been several irregularities in the container clearance process which had caused delays in clearance. They pointed out that even though a token number is assigned for container clearance, the containers do not exit the port in the proper order due to various irregularities.   

They said around 1,800 to 2,000 containers were cleared from the port daily last year but the number of containers which are cleared daily had reduced to 300 to 400 now.  

“The same staff is working even now. But, the container clearance has dropped remarkably from two years ago,” they said.  

They said delays cause loss of money for importers and that it is an advantage for the consumers as well.  
The officials requested the minister to ensure container clearances efficiently, without corruption or interference.