The deadline for the period during which permission was granted for the import of rice by the private sector expired at midnight yesterday (10).
As the deadline ends, a total of 167,000 metric tons of rice had been imported into the country. The government had granted special permission for importers to address the shortage of Nadu Rice and Kekulu Rice in the local market.
Since permission was granted on December 4, the total quantity of imported rice cleared from the port by Sri Lanka Customs has reached 167,000 metric tons. This includes 66,000 metric tons of Raw Rice and 101,000 metric tons of Nadu Rice, the Customs Spokesman said.
Meanwhile, another consignment of rice imported by the Sri Lanka State Trading Corporation is scheduled to arrive in the country, and special permission will be required to clear this shipment, according to Seevali Arukgoda, Additional Director General of Sri Lanka Customs and Media Spokesperson.
