Metal recycle project

Kurunegala North Group Corr., Stanley Seneviratne

Kurunegala: The Rural Industries and Self-Employment Promotion Ministry in collaboration with the Industrial Development Board (IDB) has launched a programme to collect metal items such as iron, aluminium, copper, steel, and brass discarded by state organisations and sell them to small-scale industrialists to use as raw material at a moderate price.

Rural Industries and Self-Employment Promotion Minister S.B. Navinna told a media conference held at the Ministry office Kurunegala that it was the duty of the government to protect small-scale industrialists scattered across the country as they face scarcity of raw materials for the manufacture of metal items.

He observed that all small-scale industrialists registered at he Industrial Development Board and who were engaged in metal craft industries had urged help as problems had arisen regarding new materials and monopoly of large-scale industrialists.

Navinna said, through the metal collection project the IDB could find a solution. Navinne also said he had already obtained the Cabinet approval to implement the programme and the Industrial Development Board had been entrusted with the responsibility to go ahead with the programme and that a metal collection committee had been formed.

He emphasised that new legislation would come into force for metal exports from foreign countries. Chairman Laksala Soma Thennakoon was also present at the conference.