SINHALA NARROW MINDNESS SHD COME TO END..!!! A welcome first step in building rapport with the Tamil Diaspora ..!!!

End ‘Captain Ali’ saga magnanimously

The ‘Captain Ali’ saga refuses to come to an end. The cargo is held up in the port for want of proper documents. The problem of documents appears to be a result of the cargo having had to be reshipped from India which in turn is a result of turning ‘Captain Ali’ away in a huff, when she arrived here. The continued detention of the cargo is bound to be misunderstood as malicious obstruction.

Now that the acrimony of the war has subsided, let us take a large-hearted view of the matter. The President, as the Minister of Finance, has the discretion under Section 19A of the Customs Ordinance to exempt goods from import duties and to restore seized goods under Section 164 thereof. Similarly the Collector of Customs has the discretion under Section 163, to waive rent and dues on goods not removed within the specified period.

Exercise of these discretions forthwith would lead to the clearing of the detained goods without waiting for documents until the goods reach their expiry dates. Such magnanimity is bound to be a welcome first step in building rapport with the Tamil Diaspora that appears to be seeing things in a realistic light and visiting the homeland in planeloads.


Somapala Gunadheera


www island.lk