2,150 kg fruits, veggies perish as Customs delays clearance

Three consignments reached the TIA before 6 am on Friday, according to sources. The first had 850 kg of vegetables and the second had about 1,300 kg of vegetables and fruits. The third consignment was general cargo or non-perishable items.

All the consignments were supposed to be loaded on a Srilankan Airlines flight to Colombo, from where they would be taken to Dubai. As per IATA protocol, the consignments have to get the Customs clearance and be ready at the boarding point or cargo ramp 90 minutes before the arrival of flights.

As per schedule, the Srilankan Airlines aircraft landed by 8.40 am. However, the consignments got the Customs clearance only by 7.45 am making it impossible for the cargo operator to load the consignments on the aircraft without delaying the flight. The private cargo exporter blamed the Customs officials for the heavy loss.

One of the two exporters managed to send his consignment weighing 850 kg through another flight, though late by about six hours. He was not certain whether the goods would get clearance at the Dubai airport. Another exporter was left with no option but to send the perishables to the Gandhi Market to see if they could fetch any money.