Two centres to upgrade small enterprises

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Ministry has opened two common service centers in Jaffna to facilitate leather - and coir-based industrialists in the peninsula as part of the Mahinda Chinthana strategy to upgrade 5,000 small enterprises in the Northern and Northeastern provinces to medium and large enterprises.

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda opened the Common Service Centre for leather-based producers last week at Vadiri village in Jaffna.

The village is popular in the peninsular as the Leather Producers' Village. The Common Service Centre for coir-based producers was opened in Chavakachcheri, Jaffna, Ministry sources said.

The centers will offer technologies, basic equipment and high value equipment to the producers to add value to their products, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Ministry Secretary V. Sivagnanasothi said.

Asked about the Ministry's Plans to develop small industries in the North, Sivagnanasothi said, the Ministry has initiated action to build an Industrial Estate in a 40 acre land in Achchuveli, Jaffna.

This is as part of Mahinda Chinthana strategy to upgrade the small industrialists, he said.

The Ministry has obtained approval for the construction of the Industrial Estate from the National Planning Department, he said.

This is expected to develop and promote their industries while creating hundreds of job opportunities.

The 40 acre land was earlier with the Board of Investments with plans to develop an Industrial Zone.

Sivagnanasothi said, the land is now with the Small Enterprise Development Ministry.

"The ministry expects to build the Industrial Estate with 40 units of small industries and the land will be given to small industrialists after necessary infrastructure such as electricity, access roads and sanitation, has been developed," he said.