Laugfs commissions modern gas-filling plant in Mabima

Irangika RANGE

NEW PLANT: The Government is keen on facilitating more foreign investment to set up refineries which would provide by products as raw material to produce gas locally, Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said opening the fully automated LPG cylinder filling plant of Laugfs Gas at Mabima yesterday.

More foreign investment friendly policies and maintaining an investment attractive environment in Sri Lanka would drive the country's development. Foreign exchange is recorded around US$ 7 billion and in the apparel sector US$3.5 billion.

The Government would facilitate and encourage more local and foreign investment to increase the balance of US$ 3.5 billion.

"We have understood the value of promoting local entrepreneurship and these investments are most welcome," the Minister said.

Laugfs Holdings Limited's Chairman W.K.H.Wegapitiya said this fully automatic LPG cylinder filling facility in its LPG storage and filling plant of Rs. 125 million would improve filling efficiencies.

Commencing LPG operations in 2001 breaking the trade monopoly controlled by a multinational oil major, Laugfs Gas managed to penetrate over 30 percent market shares within this short period of time due to its well planned business strategies.

He said today after less than six years Laughs Gas is equipped with a modern storage terminal at Mabima, together with the largest LPG transport fleet that any LPG company has in Sri Lanka. As a BOI company, the total investment that Laugfs gas made up to date exceeds Rs. 1,200 million and this proves the long term commitment of the local player.

This new automatic cylinder filling plant is capable of filling 360,000 cylinders a month in different sizes and the operation is controlled by a computer system.