40 containers of booze stuck at Liberty port since February

The Customs have been urged to clear more than 40 containers of alcoholic drinks stuck at Labuan port since February. (Bernama pic)

LABUAN: The Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce has appealed to the Royal Customs to clear the release of more than 40 containers containing alcoholic drinks worth millions of ringgit held up at Labuan Liberty Wharf since February.

Chamber president Wong Kii Yii said the five companies which imported the containers would have to cease their business operations if the containers were not cleared.

He said the containers could not be moved to their destinations with valid liquor import licences being issued by the Customs.

“A letter replied by the Customs Department in Putrajaya on April 30 did not resolve the issue but has dragged it on,” he said.

Wong said the importers usually submitted applications to renew the import licence about three months before the expiry date. Should there be any queries by the Customs Department in relation to the licence renewal, it should be brought to the attention of the applicants well before the licence expired, he said.

“The importers are our members whose cargoes are stuck at the port. They had informed the chamber after they brought the issue to the Customs’ attention via a letter of intervention on April 8, where they were asked to submit certain documents to support their import licence renewal applications, but there was no communication at all when they received the renewal application,” Wong said.

He said the importers had been in the business for more than three decades and were well-versed on the procedures. - FMT