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By Chamitha Kuruppu

The government is most likely to purchase the entire requirement of school uniform fabric for 2004 from local textile manufacturers which was imported from China earlier.

Secretary to the Ministry of Schools Education H.M.Sirisena told the Daily News that Minister Suranimala Rajapakse will meet representatives of the local textile industry today to discuss the issue.

However an official of the Ceylon Textile Manufacturers Association told the Daily News yesterday that only two leading companies were called for the discussion while the others were not informed about the event.

"Anyway it's a positive move," the official said.

Sirisena said that several discussions were held over the past few months regarding the matter and the Education Ministry has decided to purchase the total requirement of nearly ten million metres of uniform fabric from local manufacturers.

In a bid to boost the ailing local textile industry a Domestic Quota Board appointed by the government in 1997 suggested that school uniform material be purchased from local manufacturers.

Discussions between the government and textile industrialists commenced in April 2002. According to industry sources apart from the numerous discussions the authorities showed little interest to confirm the deal.

Nearly 50 textile manufacturing companies applied to supply school uniform fabric but considering their capabilities only eight companies were selected by the Quota Board. However, at that time local manufacturers had already commenced manufacturing school uniform material. A special meeting was called by the authorities to say that the Education Ministry had decided to continue purchasing uniform material from China. Amidst heavy protests from local textile manufacturers the ministry held another discussion in July 2002 and said they will purchase the quantities already produced by local manufacturers and import the balance from China.

"By July we had manufactured three million metres of fabric and the total requirement was eight million metres. We called upon the officials to confirm the deal so that local textile industrialists could provide the entire requirement," sources said. He said that instead of confirming the deal five million metres of school uniform material were imported from China in 2002 to be distributed this year.

However, Education Ministry officials said that the government has signed a valid agreement with the Chinese government to purchase the fabric.

The government is purchasing a metre for Rs.67 from China at present. Local manufacturers earlier agreed to supply uniform fabric at Rs. 75 per metre and with the recently approved 20% concession they claim they are capable of supplying the fabric at a lower price than those imported, the sources said.

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