Do not tarnish my good-name!

The essential food supply of Sri Lanka looks set for doldrums as the mounting struggle waged on chilling stealth narcotics deterred top food importers. And the domestic distributors who run the bulk of food supply market in the country, are bracing for the worst at supply side anytime-even fearing for the wellbeing of their own families.

“We are highly worried-our families and our future are facing a new danger” said an agitated Chairman of All Ceylon Essential Food Items, Retail & Wholesale Suppliers Association (ACEFIR&WSA) Bandula Jayamanne on 24 July in Colombo. ACEFIR&WSA Chairman Jayamanne  was addressing the Special Press Conference at Government Information Department by the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen  on the cocaine haul netted at a warehouse of Lanka Sathosa of his Ministry on 19 July. Joining the event were Minister Bathiudeen, Secretary to Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthaka Lokuhetti, Chairman of Lanka Sathosa TMKB Tennakoon, Essential Food Commodities Association (EFCA) Chairman Nihal Seneviratne and Media Secretary of Sri Lanka Sugar Importers Association (SLSIA) Hemaka Fernando.

“More and more containers are caught with narcotics at Colombo Port. Most of them have essential food items such as sugar. They still continue to escape detection” said WSA Chairman Jayamanne and added: “There is no guarantee that one of the containers received by us will not face a situation similar to Rathmalana Sathosa container. Therefore we are highly worried-our families and our future are facing a new danger.”

Almost 99% of essential food imports for Sri Lanka’s domestic market arrive via containers shipped to sea-ports of Sri Lanka, with only a negligible volume coming through air-freight. The 112,000 strong membership (shops, groceries and distributors in Districts, towns and village levels) of Jayamanna’s ACEFIR&WSA directly handles domestic distribution of more than 80% of such imported foods to Sri Lanka.

WSA Chairman Jayamanne added: “We call the government and Minister Bathiudeen to take steps to safeguard us and the local food market. Next time if a similar unchecked container is sent to one of our members and only detected when it is opened, what would be the solution? We are helpless.”

During the July 24 press brief, sugar importers such as EFCA Chairman Seneviratne and SLSIA’s Hemaka Fernando said that the next step on controlling and monitoring of containers lies with the government. “This is something that the Customs and law enforcement have to attend to and therefore we do not have any further comment” said EFCA’s Seneviratne and added: “More containers from Brazil are awaiting at Colombo port.”

SLSIA’s Secretary Hemaka Fernando said that despite the narcotics problem, Brazil is the cheapest sugar supplier to Sri Lanka. “Annually, 600000 MT sugar were imported to Sri Lanka in 24000 containers. Brazil supplied about 65% of total sugar imports before June 2016. Since this supply is no more we are importing from Dubai, India, Ukraine and several European countries, paying $50 more for each MT.  This is costing the Government US $ 3 million extra in comparison to imports from Brazil.”

Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said that it was not the Police, but Lanka Sathosa employees who alerted the Police. “Our employees found that first and I praise them for their vigilance. Seven people were arrested by the Police but none of them were Lanka Sathosa Employees. Even the vehicle the cocaine was brought was a private sector container vehicle and people who were unloading were hired workers from a manpower company. The container was carrying sugar from a private sector supplier called Ranjitha Traders who qualified to supply to Lanka Sathosa. The container seal was opened in the presence of Lanka Sathosa officers, a representative of Hemas Logistics, and a representative from Ranjitha Pulses Company. Upon opening the container and unloading they detected the unusual green colour bag inside, stopped their work, then opened the bag, and found the cocaine haul. They closed the container immediately and informed Sathosa Chairman TMKB Tennakoon who instructed them to contact the police immediately. They promptly contacted the nearby Mt Lavinia Police post. The Police who arrived identified the cargo to be a cocaine haul and took it into custody. But since the discovery, several organised groups are using the incident to tarnish my good name. I call them to refrain from doing this and also ask friends from media here to not to support such negative publicity.”

According to the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka under Minister Bathiudeen, various types of sugar imports from Brazil to Sri Lanka totalled $95 Mn in 2015 and peaked to $151 Mn last year. Sri Lanka’s sugar imports from Brazil this year show a huge fall-a paltry US $11 Mn from January to May.

According to food importers who spoke on 24 July, another 65 to 70 sugar containers from Brazil are lying at Colombo port awaiting inspection and clearance, having arrived here from Port of Santos prior to June 2016.

Sri Lanka Police said that the cocaine haul netted on 19 July at Rathmalana Sathosa is valued around Rs 3.2 Bn ($ 20.8 Mn), weighing 218 Kg. From 19 July Minister Bathiudeen’s officials too are now working on a report on the incident on his call.