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Financial crisis faced by SLRRI will be resolved soon - Labour Minister

by Ananda Kannangara

Employment and Labour Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe on Friday promised the Sri Lanka Rubber Research Institute (SLRRI), Agalawatta that the financial crisis currently faced by the Institute will be resolved very soon.

The Minister made these observations to a group of trade unions including the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya and the Rubber Research Officers Union, affiliated to the Institute. SLRRI, Director Dr. L.M. K Tilakaratna and Deputy Director Dr. Asoka Nugawela were also present.

Mr. Tilakaratna said that although the Treasury had allocated the Institute Rs. 81.5 million for the year 2002 the institute received only a sum of Rs. 71.5 million and this created a sudden financial crisis in the SLRRI.

"Due to this reason the management of the SLRRI had not even transferred the deducted EPF remittances to the value of Rs. 8.6 million to the Central Bank", he said.

He said that the institute also neglected to carry out several important research work during this period and curtailed some services extended to small and medium scale rubber growers.

A member of the JSS union said that under this situation the Institute had also to cut down the overtime, the fuel and transport allowances granted to employees. He said that the salary arrears to be paid to employees from 1998 have also been stopped due to this financial crisis.

Minister Samarasinghe listened to the grievances attentively and promised the representatives that he would bring all these facts to the attention of Plantation Industries Minister Lakshman Kiriella and Finance Minister K.N. Choksy.

The Minister also pledged the trade union representatives and officials that the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will never permit any damage to the rubber industry and will take more measures to develop it by allocating more lands for rubber planting and also provide loans to rubber growers.

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