BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWAInvestigations are underway to ascertain whether the controversial urea shipment weighing 9,795 MT, which arrived at the Colombo Port last week, long after the Government banned agrochemical imports, had been loaded prior to the imposition of the ban on importing chemical fertiliser, The Sunday Morning learnt. Speaking to us, Sri Lanka Customs Spokesman Deputy Director (Legal) Sudattha Silva said that during the initial inquiries, it was revealed that the shipment had been loaded on 6 March 2021 from Malaysia. “We are investigating as to whether those documents are true and whether the shipment had been loaded on the said date,” he said. “We have referred the relevant documents to the Fertiliser Secretariat to ascertain whether they have actually issued the letters in March. Even if the shipment is cleared, it would only be released with written approval from the NFS, he added.

Source: The Nation July 17, 2021 18:00 UTC