TUS and minister clash over proposed Customs Ordinance

Customs Trade Unions yesterday said their meeting with Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake over the proposed Customs Ordinance was a failure and they would continue to press President Maithripala Sirisena to intervene in the matter.

The Sri Lanka Customs Trade Union Coalition and the Sri Lanka Customs Protection Organisation accused the minister and ministry officials of treating them shabbily throughout Thursday’s meeting.

Co-convener of the Coalition W.M.R.P. Wijekoon said they were denied an official invitation for the meeting and had to seek assistance from the Customs Director General to attend it.

Two weeks is not enough to study the draft properly. We request the president to appoint a credible panel to gather the views and ideas of all stakeholders

“However, the meeting was attended by civil society representatives like Professor Sarath Wijesooriya, J. C. Weliamuna and Saman Ratnapriya. They have no knowledge of the Customs Department and don’t represent the entire population of the country. The minister had invited them to justify his actions,” Mr. Wijekoon told Daily Mirror.

He charged that the minister was continuing to avoid and mislead Trade Unions (TUS). However, the minister had promised to meet the TUS in two weeks and handed over a draft copy of the proposed Customs Ordinance to them.

“Two weeks is not enough to go through a draft and study it properly. We request the president to appoint a credible panel which can gather the views and ideas of all stakeholders in the field. When we meet the president next we will brief him in this regard,” he said.

The TUS oppose the proposed ordinance on grounds that it would have long-term repercussions that would be detrimental to the country’s economy.