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| Sunday, 23 February 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Reviving Walachchenai paper factory Plans are afoot to revive the Walachchenai Paper Corporation which can generate an income of Rs 600-700 million. Minister of Industries Rohitha Bogollagama, on a recent visit to the Corporation, said he will make the necessary arrangements to release five million rupees immediately for urgent renovation work necessary to revive the business from its present condition, while another Rs 200 million will be allocated from the Eastern Development Aid Program to completely revive the factory. During his visit, the Minister inspected all sections of the factory and spoke to the trade unions and employees. He instructed the management to give annual increments, and promotions to the staff and directed that workers affected by the recent floods be given relief under the flood relief scheme. Minister Bogollagama said that he will establish companies related to the paper industry in a 25-acre block of land in the factory premises and invited local investors engaged or interested in related industries to establish factories in these premises. He was of the view that companies related to the paper industry can be established with a small capital compared to some other capital-related industries. The Corporation is established in a 300-acre land with easy access to infrastructure such as water, electricity and transportation; and intelligent labour. He said that around four megawatts of power generated for the use of the factory is going wast which is a national crime as electricity is scarce. The production at the factory was earlier around 1,200 metric tons of paper, fetching an income of Rs. 240 million. Now this has gone down to 400 metric tons, fetching an income of Rs 25 million. During the two-day visit to Batticaloa, Bogollagama visited apparel factories, and factories manufacturing fibre glass boats. |
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