Five year plan to streamline and increase STC revenue
 

by Florence Wickramage

A five-year comprehensive plan has been drawn up to streamline the services rendered by the State Timber Corporation (STC), and to increase its revenue, STC Chairman Fuard Ghany told the Daily News yesterday. With the implentation of the plan covering the years 2005 to 2009 the State Timber Corporation is poised to earn a profit of at least Rs. 1 million a year.

Ghany said that the Corporation has earned a profit of Rs. 130 million during the last year after paying the Rs. 30 million surcharge to the Government.

Under the new plan the Corporation hopes to increase the volume of sawn timber and timber for the production of coal by at least 30%. At present the Corporation produces sawn timber, firewood, coal-wood, plywood for manufacture of paper, railway sleepers, electricity posts etc.

Ghany explained that the Corporation's timber requirements are met by the Forest Department and at present the demand for timber has exceeded the supply capacity.

At present the Corporation is allowed 1500ha. to 2000 ha. of forest cover for timber production, but under the new plan the forest extent is expected to exceed more than 2000 ha.