‘Good income by exporting high quality products’

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: Minister D. M. Jayaratne said he was extremely happy to be vested with the Portfolio given his crusade spanning several decades to get back estate seized by the colonial powers, assuming duties in his new Ministry.

“When Sinhalese did not agree to work under colonialists they brought South Indians here but according to the rules and regulations those South Indian labourers had to be sent home annually and replaced with new workers.

The aim of replacing new workers is to show that they are not permanent citizens of Sri Lanka. This replacing process did not continue. At the end citizenship was given to those workers’. Plantations were the highest profit earning sector in Sri Lanka. Hence they have to develop it and contribute towards the country’s development,” he added.

Speaking further Minister Jayaratne said, “today Chinese tomatoes are being packed in U.S. and import to Sri Lanka. But our tomatoes go waste. All the other products such as tea and coconut are in the same situation.

We have to change this system and present a high quality product into the world market in order to get a good income. We exported tyres earlier but it was not expanded. Today world is getting closer to natural products. There is a very high demand for chemical free fruits and vegetables.

“We have to make sure that all the workers get a good salary and a good working environment. We have to make and keep them happy. Only then we can expect an effective service from them. Then the productivity increases. Our prime duty is serving the public without any ethnic, religious, political or social differences,” the Minister said.

Ministry Secretary Abeywickrema also spoke. Petroleum Resources Minister Duminda Dissanayake, Deputy Minister Susantha Punchi Nilame, several ministry officials and well wishers were also present.