Lanka promoting intra - regional trade - Trade Minister
Irangika RANGE
The Sri Lankan Government is doing its utmost to promote
intra-regional trade among SAARC member countries and thereby foster
economic cooperation and development under the Chairmanship of President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and
Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardene said.
Addressing a MoU signing ceremony between the Sri Lanka State Trading
(General) Corporation (STC) and the TVS Lanka (pvt.) Ltd to provide
motorcycles at concessionary terms to public servants, the Minister said
that this scheme would vastly benefit government servants who wish to
purchase motorcycles at reasonable cost through the STC.
TVS Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd which is an Indo-Lanka joint venture has
identified its popular brands such as TVS scooty pept, apache RTR,
flame, scooty streak, metro, star sport to the market. Therefore, with
the appointment of the TVS Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd as the STC's official
transport service provider, employees of the State sector establishments
will benefit immensely.
"The flow of direct trade between India and Sri Lanka are expected to
increase several-folds. Larger markets and fuller utilization of
production capabilities and transfer of suitable production technologies
would expand cooperation among member countries in the core economic
areas," he further said.
The Minister further said that STC General Trading had been nominated
for privatization under the previous regime. "But it has created history
by ending its financial year without any bank over drafts, in recent
years".
"The Government will not privatise any Government institution even if
they incur losses," he said. "We will turn them into profitable ventures
under the policies of the Mahinda Chinthanaya," he said.
The Minister further said that the Government will open the new STC
outlet in Jaffna next month for the benefit of the public, making
available a wide range of consumer products at affordable rates.
Meanwhile, two branches of the STC will also be opened in Vavuniya
and Batticaloa next month under the "Uthuru Vasanthaya program," he
said.
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