Kochi, July 26 Imported consignments of spices such as cloves, cassia, and poppy-seeds are allegedly held up at some of the majors ports such as Tuticorin, Kolkata and Chennai for 30-45 days for clearance by the food testing authorities.
Tuticorin port does not have any laboratory facilities and, hence, the samples from the consignments are sent to outside labs for testing, importers told Business Line.
According to them, the “Customs authorities were co-operative but it is not in their hands.”
They claimed that 1,000 full container loads of imported goods were lying at Turicorin port for clearance. Similar volumes are held up in other ports also, they said.
“In the absence of proper testing laboratories, huge cargoes of all food items are held up at Kolkata, Tuticorin, Chennai,” they alleged.
Uniform valuation
Welcoming the introduction of Customs database, the importers demanded that there has to be a uniform valuation.
Cloves, cassia, poppy seeds, aniseeds, ginger, betel nuts are imported in large volumes and some are of high value. Hence, these items “needed speedy clearance and uniform policy and uniform valuation at all ports, besides fixing tariff kg-duty on these products, to arrest large scale smuggling,” they said in a representation to the Chief Economic Advisor, Union Ministry of Finance.
Importers are said to be facing a similar situation at the Kolkata port where edible oil, pulses, sugar and other items have been piling up for want of clearance by the food testing laboratory.
No laboratory
About the holding up of spices at Tuticorin and other ports, the Spices Board sources told Business Line that at present there was no laboratory at Tuticorin and the board was in the process of setting up a laboratory there in a year. They said land for this purpose had already been allotted by the Tuticorin port.
The board’s office there would also be upgraded, they said, adding that imported spices would also be tested there. However, “there isn’t any panicky situation as far as clearing of imported spices are concerned and the board is in the process of finding out the actual position,” they added.
Source : Business Line