25.9.2008
Sri
Lankan government yesterday reopened the Embilipitiya
paper factory that was closed for six years.
Senior
advisor to the President, MP Basil Rajapaksa was the chief
guest at the occasion.
At
the re-opening ceremony MP Rajapaksa said the present
government is fully committed to protect the local industries
and develop them and this is another example that the
government is not planning to privatize state owned companies.
"We
have launched a massive programme to protect and promote
local industries. Our textile factories at Veyangoda,
Thulhiriya, Minneriya were ruined. Today, we have reopened
Thulhiriya after a lapse of several years," he said.
"Due
to the economic policies implemented after 1977 we lost
all that were ours! Everything had to be imported. Today
we have become dependent on others. Years ago we had our
salterns at Hambantota, Puttalam and Elephant Pass. Today
we are importing ten containers of salt a week,"
MP Rajapaksa noted.
CP