Active industrial base a must for development - CNCI Chairman
Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI
|
Newton Wickramasuriya
|
The basic industries are a pre-requisite for industrial development
and attention should be paid to this important factor, CNCI Chairman
Newton Wickramasuriya said.
Speaking at the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) Achiever
Awards ceremony held on Wednesday, he said without an active industrial
base, advanced industries would be reluctant to invest in the country.
He said in the promotion of country's SME sector attention has not
been paid to the development of basic industries.
"One disturbing factor is the lending institutions are still
reluctant to identify the knowledge or the skill of an entrepreneur as
an asset. It is important to support technical services as an integral
component in industrial development. The SME sector is ideally suited
for this," he said. Wickramasuriya said the CNCI has made several
proposals to the Government which have received a positive response
which he hoped will be implemented to overcome these constraints. The
need for a consistent national industrial policy was one emphasis.
He welcomed the bringing down the import duties and requested an
assurance that it will not go back or impose new duties as the future
investments would be affected.
On the request made to establish a joint consultative body with the
chambers to formulate an industrial policy and monitor its
implementation he said this body can bring up issues the industry faces
with other government institutions. The Chamber also has requested to
reactivate the quarterly meeting to resolve issues of individual
industrialists with other government institutions. |
