Sri Lankan Governtment boosting industries

Traditional industries and small business development department is taking steps to transform 5,000 industrial small scale for medium-sized industrial and 500 industrial sized to large industrial as provided in the vision of " Mahinda Chinthana "program for the future, traditional industries and the Small Business Development Minister Douglas Devananda said.

He was Minister to participate as chief guest at the ceremony to mark the opening of the newly built auditorium Industrial Estate Pallekele owned Ceylon Industrial Development Board (IDB), May 10

The auditorium was built with industrial investment real estate industry Pallekele without any input from the State.

Department Secretary, Sivagnanasothy, with the message the Minister said in the process attempt by the government, he was hired to supply the raw materials, land, bank lending facilities and technology required by the industry, and all these facilities would be channeled through the Board Palmyrah Development, National Design Centre, National Crafts Council of Ceylon and the Industrial Development Board (IDB), operating under the supervision of his ministry.

He said the budget 2011/2012 was designed to provide a range of concessions to industrialists and entrepreneurs in all fields. Concessions on raw materials, marketing facilities to both local and overseas and the provision of technology had been available to industry in this budget, he added.

He said the IDB is not an organization set up to simply collecting rent, but an institution designed to provide every facility to the industrial merits to improve their businesses.

However, on the instructions of the Minister of ground rent increased 40 percent was reduced to 30 percent and the Minister has taken steps to end the rent previously charged to the canteen to the industrial zone, at he added. The Secretary said the 18 industrial zones maintained by the IDB, Pallekele was one of the most developed and there were 72 established sectors which 54 were on the scene satisfactorily.

Following debate, the Minister had with the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Dr. PB Jayasundara, steps are being taken to provide infrastructure facilities in four industrial areas to the areas in the modeling world, and Pallekele was the One of them, he said.

On a request by some industrial steps would be taken by the Minister of the carpet and the light of internal roads and provide drinking water to the estate, he said. Deputy Minister Weerakumara Dissanayake said steps have been taken by the minister and the department to continue to develop the industrial estate Pallekele.

President of the Manufacturers Association of Pallekele, Srilal Kularatne said after Douglas Devananda became traditional industries and small enterprise development minister he listened to the grievances of the industrialists in discussions, and has taken significant steps to resolve issues. He said that all manufacturers are of the opinion that the Minister take steps to implement the recommendations of the committee appointed by him.

The industrial association secretary KA Jayathilake proposed the vote of thanks. The main ministry deputy secretary Pushpa Abeyagoonewardene, and ministry officials attended the meeting.