Cosmetic manufacturers calls on Govt. to regulate industry

By Charumini de Silva

With the close down of Cosmetic Drugs and Devices Authority (CDDA), cosmetic manufacturers have faced great difficulties in expanding their markets overseas as there is no authority to issue Free-Sale Certificate at present.

Despite many lobbies that have been made through since May 2015, the health ministry has failed to provide a solution for these manufactures.

“Previously CDDA granted the Free-Sale Certificate, but now there is no party to authorise cosmetic products in Sri Lanka. We are facing a big problem, not being able to enter into any new export markets without this certification,” Nature’s Secrets Chairman and Managing Director Samantha Kumarasinghe said.

He said that although National Medical Regulatory Authority (NMRA) was established instead of the CDDA, the institution has failed to execute this certification; thereby it has affected their exports significantly. 

“We lobbied through Cosmetic Manufacturing Association, Ministry of Industries and various other organisations to the health ministry, but the issue remains unanswered for over a year now,” Kumarasinghe charged.

He claimed that due to the Government’s short-sighted policies, the country was losing out on generating the much needed foreign exchange to the country through trade, while discouraging the exporters.

Acknowledging that there is a new Act being drafted, Kumarasinghe pointed out that no priority has been given to fast track the process to.

According to him, many products are smuggled to the local market imported from various countries, without knowing if they are authentic products as an organised group engaged in this are releasing products to the market after changing the labels. 

“This is a very dangerous situation. Anyone can introduce a new cosmetic product to the market without meeting Government regulations and despite several attempts at informing the health ministry,” he added.