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At a time when the Public Sector is not in a position to generate enough job opportunities, the Government has taken steps to offer a wide range of incentives including tax breaks to the Private Sector for the sole purpose of providing employment to the youth of this country, said Enterprise Development Industrial Policy, Investment Promotion and Constitutional Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris at ceremonies held to mark the presentation of job certificates to the new entrants at "Interlock fashions (Pvt) Ltd" Bibile and "New Generations Apparel (Pvt.) Ltd" Maskeliya.

Under the "Arunalu - 10,000 jobs" program initiated by Prof. G. L. Peiris and spearheaded by his Ministry, an increased amount of garment quotas would be provided to garment manufacturers in rural areas who are willing to increase the number of employees by a minimum of 250. Under this programme 5,000 jobs have already been created and the Ministry expects to increase it to 6,500 jobs by the end of December 2003.

The Minister pointed out that the Garments Sector contributes 53% of the total foreign exchange earnings of Sri Lanka and that is an important and timely step on the part of his Ministry to initiate the "Arunalu" programme.

The Minister further said: The intention of the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government was to create and operate a practical programme to improve the economy, to uplift the living standards of the people and create avenues for income generation. But after two years one could witness positive results.

For 20 months the Government has been able to maintain peace in the country. That has led to increased investment, but the Prime Minister is very keen to spread the benefits of any economic expansion far and wide to minimize the regional economic disparities.

Minister Peiris said that 250 unemployed graduates too would be included in the proposed 10,000 job creations under the "Arunalu" scheme. He further said that the Government has invested a massive amount for rural electrification, provision of drinking water, irrigation facilities, road development and other infrastructure projects. He further said that the need of the hour is not an ineffective national government but national programme of work centred on peace and the economy.

Former Minister of Agricultural Development and Research R. M. Dharmadas Banda too spoke at the ceremony at "Interlock Fashions (Pvt) Ltd". while Jagath Pushpakumara, Managing Director of Interlock Fashions and Muniratne Attanayake, Leader of the Opposition, Uva Provincial Council were present.

At the Ceremony held at "New Generations Apparel (Pvt) Ltd" Maskeliya, K. K. Piyadasa MP. Nuwara-Eliya District and Nihal Pathirana, Managing Director of the company spoke while S. A. S. Aboosally, Chairman Hatton Dickoya Town Council and Kareem Akthar, Chairman of the company will present.

Letters of Appointment were handed over to the new recruits at the "Interlog Fashions (Pvt) Ltd., Bibile recently under the "Arunalu - 10,000 jobs" programme of the Ministry of Enterprise Development. This programme has been initiated with the aim of providing 10,000 jobs in difficult ares and to spread the benefits of industrialization to the rural areas.

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