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Free Flow of Essential Items & Construction Material to the
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North and the East
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SCOPP Report
20 June 2006
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The Hon. Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, has decided to take the following measures to ensure the free flow of essential items and construction material from the South of Sri Lanka to the North and the East. These decisions respond to the concerns expressed by civil society and the business community in the North and the East on the restrictions relating to the flow of goods, particularly cement and steel to the North and the East.
The GoSL is extremely mindful that a major achievement of the CFA was the opening of the A9 highway in February 2002 and the lifting of the embargo on a wide range of finished goods and raw material. This contributed significantly to the revival of trade and commerce in the conflict-affected areas and also promoted stronger economic ties and trade relations between the North and the South. The impact is clearly visible in the volume of goods transported between Colombo and Jaffna including agricultural produce which increased substantially since the signing of the CFA
The government is committed to ensuring that the trading activities of civilians in the North and the East will continue unimpeded, while addressing legitimate security concerns. In order to balance these two imperatives, the passage of goods from the South to the North will be in accordance with the following guidelines:
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All restrictions on the movement of construction materials (i.e. cement and steel) will be in conformity with the Ceasefire Agreement, while there will be no restrictions on the flow of essentials.
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Licensing procedures and granting of permits will be streamlined and monitored by the Government Agents of the respective Districts based on the actual needs of the business sector and end-users.
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Accordingly:
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Government Agent /District Secretary of the area should ascertain the actual requirement of cement and iron for the Districts and inform the same to the focal point at area level with copy to the Ministry of Defence and issue a permit /license for transportation in agreement with the local focal point. |
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Area focal point will inform and coordinate the transportation of requested material to relevant areas |
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Area focal point will monitor the transportation of material through entry-exit points and any issue will be brought to the attention of the Ministry level focal point |
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GAs should provide proof (eg. photographs) of constructions in their areas to prove that materials are being used for intended purposes |
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GAs should not issue permit/license in bulk form without justification. |
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Following the above measures, independent reports indicate that the flow of essentials, fuel and construction materials had vastly improved without compromising on legitimate security imperatives.
The government is also studying other ways to expedite the flow of essential items through the Entry- Exit points at Omanthai and Muhamalai. Proposals for advanced technological equipment at the checkpoints to scan goods are being considered.
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Violations Committed
by the GOSL - 351
