Construction sector welcomes permit removal

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

The construction industry yesterday lauded the government for cancelling the requirement of a permit for the transportation of sand, gravel and clay which only added to red tape and corrupt practices, according to the sector players.

 “There were many delays and red tape in trying to get these permits. Any permit, when introduced, will lead to corruption and delays, and the case here was similar,” Chamber of Construction Industries (CCI) Secretary General/ CEO Engineer Nissanka N. Wijeratne told Mirror Business.

The move to scrap the permit requirement for the transportation of sand, granite, and soil came from a Cabinet decision on Wednesday where it was said the cancellation would take place for a week and the outcome would be reviewed by a committee before any final decision is taken.

According to the CCI Secretary General, the transportation permit served no real purpose, and only added to the existing delays. Players of the construction industry had made a number of requests to the previous government calling for the removal of the same since its introduction last year.

“There is no need for transportation permits to control illicit mining and sand harvesting. It makes no sense. Even for a constructor to transport sand from one site to another, or even the opposite venue, a permit was required. It didn’t help,” he stressed.

However, he stressed that strict controls should be in place for mining and sand harvesting to ensure environment protection.