'Finalize scheduled activities before year ends'

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda instructed officials to finalize all the scheduled activities of the ministry before the year ended.

Minister Douglas Devananda

He said addressing a meeting of high ranking officials of his ministry at the ministry premises on August 22. He said though he instructed them to finalize all the activities of the ministry within the first half of this year, some activities, however, had not been accomplished.

It was brought to notice that Rs. 500 million allocated to his ministry still remains to be utilized. Rs. 199 million of that amount is to be set aside for the Atchuvely Industrial Estate and Rs. 91 million for Palmyrah Development Board. It was also revealed that Rs. 24 million had been spent for Atchuvely Industrial Estate Land clearing, Rs. 4 million for water tests, Rs two million for land surveying, Rs. 7.2 million for the construction of administrative buildings and Rs. 10 million for development of Kitul Palm related industries.

The minister said he had received complaints that the industries maintained at common service centres, established and implemented by the Industrial Development Board in various parts of the island were not functioning properly. He instructed officers to submit a detailed report on how to uplift the industries.

The minister instructed officials to speak to senior government politicians in the area and explore the possibility of using these common service centres for public activities which come under the purview of other ministries.

The minister also instructed to accelerate Divi Neguma programmes and work on the new industrial estate to be established at Atchuvely. V. Sivagnanasothy, Ministry Secretary V. Jegarajasinham, Advisor to the Minister, ministry officials and Chairmen of Institutions and several officials attended this meeting.