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New vistas for plantations

by Ravi Ladduwahetty

The Government's proposed deregulation of the plantation sector in its economic agenda for 2002 will enable the 23 Regional Plantation Companies enter new vistas through projects such as power generation, gem mining, tourism, forestry, crop diversification value added agro-industry, Minister of Plantation Industries Lakshman Kiriella told the Daily News yesterday.

These ventures will add value and consolidate profitability, he said.

He said:" The Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) have been thoroughly under-utilised. They should not depend only on the traditional crops. They should come out of the beaten track and move into new areas".

The Government has stopped doing business. It is up to these companies to formulate such projects and find investors. The Government will provide the approvals so that investors will find that their investments will be secure. The Government will relax the rules as the golden shareholder if the projects are viable, Minister Kiriella asserted.

Minister Kiriella who held the tourism portfolio in the PA Cabinet of 2000, said that creative ideas could be used for promoting tourism in the plantations such as eco-tourism and adventure tourism.

Tea production should report a 20 percent increase for 2002 over the 295 million kilos last year based on the assumption that there are no vagaries of the weather, he noted.

Moves are afoot to create a regional tea hub by collaborating with India taking into consideration the ideal blending, he said.

He said that the formation of a Federation for the tea, rubber and coconut industries was a very positive move in the right direction. It would create harmony between growers, brokers, traders and exporters. This would enable these industries to speak with one voice as advocated by the donor concerns as well, he said.

The Government would also initiate a wages system based on productivity when it comes up for negotiations in June.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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