News in brief

Jaffna's tsunami victims get help

Over 4,000 families affected by the tsunami in the Jaffna district will receive Rs. 5,000 monthly through rural banks of the MPCS, Jaffna Government Agent K. Ganesh said.

According to the Jaffna District Media Unit, families affected in the Maruthankerni Divisional Area were so far not paid the Rs. 5,000 monthly payment, made available to tsunami affected families, due to the non existence of state banks in the area.

The Government Agent has obtained the government's permission to make this payment to over 4,000 families in the Maruthankerni Divisional Secretariat division through rural banks.

Boost for gem industry

Minister of Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development, Rohitha Bogollagama has initiated a program to attract world renowned gem and jewellery companies to visit Sri Lanka and associate themselves with varied areas of the gem and jewellery industry to facilitate its development and expansion, the Government Information Department said in a release yesterday.

The first world renowned jeweller to visit Sri Lanka will be Damas House of Dubai, UAE which boasts of an annual turnover of Rs. 3.6 billion. The Damas Group has over 140 retail stores around the Middle East region and also over 600 outlets in Dubai engaged in the sale of gold and jewellery.

They will make a formal visit to the National Gem and Jewellery Authority on March 14 to view an array of gems which will be displayed by renowned Sri Lankan gem exporters.

Minister Bogollagama is also scheduled to participate.