New act for food safety standards, says Musthapha

Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha, speaking at the Food Safety High Achievers Awards – 2016 held recently in Colombo, said that the Government was working on introducing a new act which would prioritise food safety standards. 

Minister Musthapha was the ceremony’s Chief Guest while Health Services Director General Dr. Palitha Maheepala, Colombo Municipal Commissioner V.K.A. Anura, Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Director Dr. Ruwan Vijamuni and several officers of the CMC graced the ceremony as well. The ceremony is an annual project of the CMC.

Achievers of the Food Safety awards were awarded under several categories from small-scale snack bars to five star rated hotels. Minister Musthapha told the gathering: “Safety in health standards is paramount as Sri Lanka has progressed a lot in recent times. But when we talk about restaurants, though the ambiance may look great, in the kitchen you may find that the standards maintained are very poor. When I was the Deputy Minister of Tourism I undertook the task of visiting some Tourist Board hotels. In some of the star rated hotels the ambiance was great but the kitchens were an absolute disaster.” 

 “As a country we have pledged to see that the citizens of the country have proper food safety standards when they visit restaurants. And the commitment of the CMC here today in organising and granting these awards is a commendable task which should be appreciated by all of us present here today, and all of those who are not. 

“When looking at the legislation there’s a lot that is still lacking in our Municipal Ordinance of 1947. I have spoken to the Colombo Municipal Council about several issues in it. We are embarking on a new project to introduce a new act where food safety standards are a major priority. And I’m certain many of you can assist by providing ideas that can help take this forward. If and when a tourist does come to Sri Lanka, they look for good food to eat because they don’t wish to risk their health. They are often willing to spend more money on such food. So maintaining good standards will help enhance sales in good hotels and restaurants,” he added. 

“As a Government we are committed to uplifting standards. The Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government is working very closely with local bodies. As a Municipal Commissioner, V.K. Anura addresses the issues which concern the public. Some say that when there is no leadership of a political officer there’s a breakdown in Municipal Councils. We are proud to say that his leadership, and Dr. Vijayamuni working with the Commissioner, has done a lot and it is really appreciable. Dr. Maheepala’s commitment and contributions towards the health sector has brought Sri Lanka a lot of pride and advancement, and collectively we can move forward to further our dreams and ambitions for the country.” 

Musthapha went on to state that with President Maithripala Sirisena coming into office, issues like the collection of garbage were being solved simply. He said that earlier it was the Police which did it in a different manner. 

“We have moved from the era of fear to an era where every citizen is conscious of what they do. We have now initiated the program of segregating garbage. I would like to ask all hoteliers and restaurant owners to help us in this project by segregating garbage appropriately. The proper disposal of garbage is also a cause for concern when measuring food safety standards.”