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| Friday, 13 September 2002 |
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by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi Customs are investigating a massive duty fraud amounting to millions of rupees by a BOI approved firm which manufactures bottled mineral drinking water exclusively for export. Investigations have revealed that the company had flooded the local market with large consignments of bottled water depriving the Government millions of rupees as tax. According to BOI regulations, a company which imports raw material for manufacturing water bottles under duty free concessions cannot flood the local market with its products. Reliable sources told the Daily News that this company which had registered another company under a different name but in the same address with the same board of directors had released a large consignment of water bottles to the local market. Although the particular company is entitled to import labels for 1500 ml and 500 ml water bottles under duty free concessions, it had imported labels even with the Sinhala version for 1000 ml and 750 ml through the BOI channel, sources said. They said investigations are also conducted to ascertain as to what happened to a feeder vessel purchased by the company under BOI concessions. Earlier, this company which obtained water for bottling from a 100 acre land in the hill country where they cultivated vegetables for export, for which they had purchased the reefer vessel. Investigations revealed that the vegetable project had been terminated claiming that it is not profitable. The vessel could not be still traced. Further investigations are conducted by Assistant Superintends of Customs Wasantha Wimalaweera (OIC - Marine Division), A.S. Kumara, J. Gunathilake and S.D. Dayananda under the guidance of A.M.K. Abeysinghe (Chief Asst. Preventive Officer) and A. Welikala (Chief Preventive Officer). |
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