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by Irangika Range

Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon and MPL’s Managing Director I. M. Mohideen inspect the tea at the factory.

The Hatale, Wattegama tea factory owned by Meesan Plantation Ltd (MPL) was reopened last week by Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon. Meesan Plantation Ltd acquired the tea factory which was closed for over 20 years and extensive re-structuring was done to operationalise the property.

MPL's Managing Director I.M.Mohideen said the factory was owned and operated by the Ceylon General Tea and Rubber Company in 1938." In 1974 the 313 acres property with the factory was taken over by the government and it was managed by the Ceylon Plantation Corporation (CPC). The factory was undergoing heavy losses and it was shut down in 1984. In 2003 Meesan Plantation Ltd purchased the company from the CPC," Mohideen said.

Mohideen said that the MPL spent over Rs. 45 million to reconstruct the factory, tea cultivation, employees houses and roads. It also invested money to set up new machines and provide community facilities," Mohideen said.

Mohideen said about 350 employees are working at present. "The company also provided jobs to employees who lost their jobs over 20 years ago. In addition over 100 employees have been recruited. The factory now has new machinery to get maximum tea production per day. The factory has also planned to improve its quality by following the 5S system," he said.

Speaking at the re-opening ceremony the minister said the tea sector plays a major role to promote the country's economy as the best foreign exchange earner to the country. "Tea, rubber and coconut still drive the economy. The World Bank has also stressed the importance of developing tea cultivation as a major player in the export sector.

Earning more foreign exchange by developing tea, rubber and coconut may be a good solution to reduce the economic crisis. Therefore the government is keeping an eye to promote and protect traditional items by implementing development programs. It also has decided to promote high quality export goods to suit the international market," the minister said.

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