Call from National Paper Company Limited to state institutions:

'Provide discarded paper and cardboard'

Rasika SOMARATHNA

The National Paper Company Limited (NPCL), the owners of Valachchenai Paper Mill requested state institutions to help them by providing discarded paper and cardboard to boost the mill's production capacity by recycling them.

The Valachchenai Paper Mill which was on the verge of closure due to terrorism and mismanagement, has risen from its ashes and made rapid strides as the country's premier paper production facility once again.

The facility is reaching full capacity again, with rapid progress in the last few months, under the guidance of the Resource Management and Enterprise Development Ministry. However, the lack of discarded paper and cardboard has become an impediment to its progress.

As part of its restructuring process, the NPCL, successor to the National Paper Corporation, launched its new logo during the weekend and started its business diversification by commencing the importation of 'Reflex' brand photocopy papers from Australia to be distributed in Sri Lanka.

NPCL Competent Authority Mangala Senerath said many government institutions which earlier supplied discarded paper to the mill had stopped supplying as the former administrators had failed to provide payments on time.

"After we commenced operations from April, we settled all outstanding dues. We now offer Rs 6 per kilogram of discarded paper and Rs 8 per kilogram of cardboard," he said urging state institutions to recommence providing paper to the mill.

Senarath said the mill had 800 tonnes of waste paper when the NPCL recommenced operations in April and this has now reduced to 200 metric tonnes. He said 8,000 metric tonnes of discarded paper and cardboard are exported to India from Sri Lanka monthly and added that if at least part of the above could be diverted to the Valachchenai Mill, it would help the company to increase production and enable it to provide the lion share of local paper requirements.