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Hostel complex at FTZ to be opened by Minister

The new three storeyed hostel complex built by the Women's Affairs Ministry for female workers in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) at a cost of Rs.25 million will be opened by Women's Affairs Minister Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake in early September, 2002, Co-ordinating Secretary to the Minister Major V. B. Karunaratne told the "Daily News' yesterday.

Major Karunaratne said that the hostel complex consists of 50 rooms and each room can accommodate six women. The total number of female workers that can be accommodated in these rooms is about 300. The hostel complex comprises a fully fledged kitchen, dining room, reading hall and a counseling centre of the Women's Affairs Ministry. The hostel complex will be managed by the Ministry.

The Women's Affairs Ministry will charge a small fee from the female workers just to maintain the hostel. About 90 percent of the FTZ workers are females and about 79 percent of Sri Lankans who earn foreign exchange are also females.

The working girls of the FTZ undergo severe difficulties because there is no proper accommodation. Therefore Minister Ratnayake considers providing hostel facilities for them as an urgent need and one of the priorities of the Government, the CS said.

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