Sri Lanka Customs to release 50 tons of confiscated ginger for ayurvedic medicine production

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved Sri Lanka Customs to release 50 tons of ginger it confiscated for use in Ayurvedic medicine production. 

“Considering the severe scarcity of medicinal ginger in the market at present, seven drugs that require it are in short supply. Hence, it was decided to release the confiscated ginger via illegal methods for medicine production,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday. 

He added that medicinal ginger is a crucial raw material for 87 medicine products manufactured by the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation. 

Gunawardena assured that the release of confiscated ginger for medicine production will not harm local ginger farmers.  The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Health to obtain the said stock of medicinal ginger for the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation at a concessionary price.