The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) announces that it has started legal procedures against eight banana exporting companies for alleged falsehood in the declarations of shipping plans.
The companies involved are Banana Real Banana Comercializadora Exportadora de Banana Sociedad Anónima; Boccale S.A.; Coragrofrut S.A.; Dealfruit S.A.; Hilldale Business Inc. S.A.; Agrobanany S.A.; Agroberruz S.A., and Damascoswett S.A.
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Eduardo Izaguirre Marín, stated that the MAG had initiated the processes under Article 10 of the Law to Stimulate and Control the Production and Commercialization of Bananas, Bananas (Barraganete) and other Related Musaceae, intended for export.
He also said that, after a random inspection of declared shipping plans, authorities verified that the aforementioned companies were using unauthorized codes, which makes them fall into an alleged falsehood in the declarations of shipping plans.
Article 10 of the aforementioned law states that: "Any natural or legal person who exports bananas, bananas (barraganete) and other related Musaceae intended for export must submit the provisional shipment plan to the corresponding under-secretariat forty-eight hours before shipment. The provisional shipment plan must include the name of the producer, the name of the agricultural property, the planted area, and the area in which it is located. Within seventy-two hours of the shipment, the exporter shall submit the final shipment plan to the relevant under-secretariat. The non-presentation or falsehood in the aforementioned documentation presented by the exporter will be sanctioned with a fine equivalent to two hundred minimum living wages."
Izaguirre said that the entity follows due process and indicated that, if verified, companies will be fined as corresponds.
Source: agricultura.gob.ec