Four-pronged drive to fight counterfeiting

4 December 2015 06:30 pm

From left: Deputy Superintendent of Customs Ashraf Samzudeen, Director Sales Glaxo Smith Kline Dr. Kusal Senanayake, Compliance Manager Microsoft Sir Lanka Aromi Silva, Country Security and Anti Illicit Trade Manager Ceylon Tobacco Company Wing Commander Sanjaya Fernando, Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara, General Manager AMW Prasantha Waidyaratne, Attorney-at-Law Sudath Perera and Director Information CAA Chandrika Thilakaratne. Pic by Samantha Perera

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana and Chathuranga Pradeep 
In a bid to fight illegal trafficking of counterfeit goods, leading law enforcement agencies have established a joint force with AmCham Sri Lanka (American Chamber of Commerce) to launch a propaganda campaign called “Stay safe from fakes”. 
The AmCham teamed up with Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), Sri Lanka Customs and Sri Lanka Police at a top level panel discussion to make the public aware of how to stay safe from fake products and counterfeit goods that enter the country though various unlawful channels.  

Representatives of multinational companies based in Colombo like Glaxo Smith Kline, Microsoft, Associated Motorways (AMW), Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) and solicitors Sudath Perera Associates discussed about how to unite as a collective body to protect Intellectual Property Rights. 
Illegal trafficking of pharmaceutical, software, automobile as well as tobacco products has posed a grave threat, and even the government has also been affected by the none payment of taxes from the importation of these fake products. 

Director Information CAA, Chandrika Thilakaratne explaining on the crisis said, “The costs and negative effects of counterfeit products on all stakeholders are broad and numerous, ranging from lost taxes, royalties and other revenues, loss of goodwill and reputation etc. 
She said over 750, 000 jobs are lost annually due to counterfeits at a global scale, and therefore steps should be taken to enforce strong civil and criminal laws to protect IPRs to safeguard consumers. 
According to CTC studies, the government is losing approximately Rs.2 billion per annum due to tax evasion of illegal trafficking of illicit cigarettes to the country. 
Country Security and Anti Illicit Trade Manager Ceylon Tobacco Company Wing Commander Sanjaya Fernando explained how criminal organisations are often attracted to cigarette smuggling as it is considered a high-profit making exercise in a low risk trade. Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said that it is high time to get together as a joint force to fight this menace. The Police is always ready to give its support as the main law enforcement agency to any other body including the CAA and the Customs that fight against fake items and counterfeit goods.