Ausie buyer honours payment after 3 years
Al u c o p Cabl e s P L C made a s h i p ment o f Cabl e s t o a n Au s t r a l i a n C o m p a n y in Victoria, Melbourne, after their visit to Australia with the trade mission organized by the Sri Lanka Chamber of Small and Medium Industries in mid 2008.
The first shipment was honoured and the second shipment which was sent on DP ter ms on the request of the Buyer was held up for payment. Constant reminders by e-mail and inter national calls to the buyer fell on deaf ears. Alucop Cables PLC added up interest for each year and the total outstanding reflected Aus. $ 20,000/=. The Local Company holding membership in most of the large Chambers made re p re s e n t at i o n s to these Chambers, The Australian High Commission and even to The Australia – New Zealand Business Council. Outcome for all these appeals were without any results.
It so happened that Aloy Jayawardene, President, Sri Lanka Cha mber o f S mal l a n d Medi u m Industries was travelling to Australia in late December 2010 and visiting five States in Australia meeting Chambers promoting bi lateral trade. Alucop Cables who hold membership with the Sri Lanka Chamber of Small and Medium Industries, their Managing Director Shamendra Panditha made a special appeal to Jayawardene, as he was visiting the State of Victoria to visit the defaulting Company and find out the reasons for not honouring the outstanding amount. Documents of the defaulted shipment were given to Jayawardene.
One of the five states Jayawardene contacted the Company in Victoria, Melbour ne and was able to talk to the Secretary of the Company. After returning to Sri Lanka, Jayawardane was regularly in touch with the company. After much pressure from P.D. Fernando Sri Lanka’s Consul General in Sydney the Melbour ne Company finally paid Alucop Cables(now Sierra Cables P.L.C.), the amount outstanding in mid January 2012, almost one year since this matter was initiated.