7 April 2021 07:16 pm
While claiming that banning of palm oil import would not affect the manufacture of bakery products and biscuits in the country as reported, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardane said today industrialists would be allowed to import refined palm oil as raw material required for their industries.
He told Parliament that import of palm oil was banned to develop the domestic coconut oil and coconut industry and also to reduce the foreign exchange spent on the importation of palm oil.
“The domestic bakery and biscuit industry will not be affected due to the ban on palm oil import. They will be provided with a special permit to import refined palm oil required for their industries by making an appeal to the Secretary to the Finance Ministry,” he said.
The Minister said however, no one will be allowed to import crude palm oil adding that only refined and standard palm oil would be allowed to be imported as raw material required for industries.(Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)