Committee to probe Wijeyadasa’s allegations against BOI firms

Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama has asked International Trade State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe to appoint an independent committee to look into recent allegations made by Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe against some Board of Investment (BOI) companies.

Minister Rajapakshe during a forum in Colombo accused BOI companies of selling pepper, imported from Vietnam for value addition purposes, in the local market.

He said this was the reason for the recent price decline in pepper prices in Sri Lanka.

Rajapakshe also said some BOI companies engage in illegal and unethical activities such as selling the grain intended for animal feed in the market for human consumption.

The committee to be appointed by State Minister Senasinghe will also be tasked with checking whether any other goods produced by BOI companies are illegally sold to the local market, without payment of the required duty, Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry statement said.