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By Ravi Ladduwahetty

Jaffna (Tuesday) - Industries Minister Rohitha Bogollagama invited Sri Lanka's private sector to set up a cargo logistics hub in the Jaffna peninsula so that the agri-produce of the area could be handled, preserved, stored and transported according to the needs of the local and export markets.

This will be the drive of the Government to get the private sector for the development of the sector through collaboration where the Jaffna based industrialists come into contact with the local or overseas buyers. The Minister was addressing frontline Colombo based business leaders at the Atchchuveli Industrial Estate in the Jaffna District on a tour to promote commercial links between the South and the North, early this week.

What the Jaffna peninsula needs is a central point for warehousing, collection, distribution and transport of the marketing process which was lacking in the area and that was brought to the Minister's notice by the GTZ.

This system also will store not only the goods that are produced in Jaffna but also the goods arriving in the Jaffna peninsula from the other parts of the country. It is a two way process and is seen as a good mechanism for setting up of price levels.

Commenting on the merits of the system. the Minister said: "Without this type of development, it will be difficult to register the advanced type of development that is needed to the satisfaction of the industrialist or that of the farmer or the consumer."

The Minister also said that what ever product that needs to be exported will be done and the Ministry will give all encouragement to do so and even for logistics such as cold rooms in a bid to reach the domestic and international consumer. What is essential for the Jaffna farmer and the industrialist is the awareness program with a view of enhancing agricultural and industrial production,he said and added that the country at large was available for their produce. This will be in sharp contrast to being confined for local areas.

Meanwhile, Prema Cooray, Group Chairman of Aitken Spence & Co. Ltd whose wholly owned subsidiary Ace Distriparks (Pte) Ltd was the pioneer of cargo hub logistics in Sri Lanka, said: "We will be able to create a logistics framework to set up such a hub depending on the consumer needs."

This is indeed important that we do it which will further facilitate trading between North and the South. This is where we need to consolidate cargoes he asserted.

The concept of was on a local model in Singapore, the Minister said.

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