Interim order preventing payment to Chinese fertilizer company, extended

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Commercial High Court today (19) extended the interim order preventing the People's Bank from making the payment for the Letters of Credit for the stock of organic fertilizer by Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. Ltd. The order has been extended to the 30th of this month. The two cases filed by the State Fertilizer Companies in connection with the Chinese organic fertilizer were taken up for consideration again today (19) before Commercial High Court of Colombo Judges Pradeep Hettiarachchi and Priyantha Fernando. The local representative of the Chinese company has filed a written objection in the Colombo Commercial High Court today regarding this case. Organic Fertilizer samples from China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. tested for the presence of harmful pathogens, not once, by twice in tests carried out by Sri Lanka’s National Plant Quarantine Service. The Agriculture Ministry not only rejected the Chinese Fertilizer but also went to the extent of issuing an order to deny entry to the ship carrying the consignment from entering Sri Lankan ports. However, the Hippo Spirit ship carrying 20,000 metric tons of Chinese organic fertilizer remains near Sri Lankan waters.