NPPO Sri Lanka - National Plant Quarantine Service Sri Lanka
In 1869, a rust disease Hemileia vastatrix wiped out the coffee plantation in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Subsequently Indonesia passed legislation banning coffee imports including sacs used for packing coffee from Sri Lanka and it was the first plant quarantine law in the Asian region.
NPQS Import Permit Division
The Import Permit Division was established in 2012 under the National Plant Quarantine Service, Katunayake as a one of major divsion in this institute.
According to Plant Protection Act No 35 of 1999 and its regulations, issuing of import permits and approval letters for submitted complete applications for importation of prescribed commodities into Sri Lanka is the main duty of import permit division.
According to the Extraordinary Gazette No 165/2 of 1981, prescribed activities are
plant commodities, living insects, birds or other animals in any stage of their development or any virus, bacteria or fungus cultures (Except animals covered by the animal quarantine rules)
soil, minerals, rocks and organic fertilizer
What is an Import Permit for Plants & Plant Products
The plant import permit is a document that contain a statement of conditions that must be observe for the importation of allowed plant material. The issue of the import permit depends upon the risk involved with respect to the plant materials imported and or the country of origin.
Subject to the provisions of the plant protection act No 35 of 1999 no plant shall be imported into Sri Lanka except under the authority and in accordance with the conditions, of a plant importation permit previously issued by the Director General of Agriculture or by an officer of the Department of Agriculture authorized in within by the Director General for that purpose.
Therefore, before importation of plant or plant product the importer should obtained a plant import permit. This permit is issued by the Additional Director National Plant Quarantine Service, Katunayake for Director General of Agriculture. It is done according to the regulations made under the Plant Protection act No 35 of 1999.