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| Sunday, 9 October 2005 |
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Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Budget
proposals to usher prosperity - Bogollagama
by Don Asoka Wijewardena A state-of-the-art laboratory worth Rs. 100 million for the gem and jewellery industry and registration of all gem miners spread across the country were some of the pre-Budget proposals put forward by Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at a presentation on the Budget proposals on infrastructure, Marketing, Quality Improvement and Fiscal Incentives at the BMICH last week. Minister Bogollagama said that some of the outstanding proposals discussed would bring about an era of prosperity to Sri Lanka eventually. Pre-Budget proposals emanating from discussions included zero tariff concessions for all raw materials imported for the gem and jewellery industry, reduction of tariff in the electronic industry in importation of cables and resistance and setting up a modern training institute to train youth in the Kithul and Palmyrah industry. He said that one of the more important proposals was to set up 12 industrial estate zones under the special economic zones. It was a part of providing industrial training for school-leavers to be more productive. Increasing the number of English education classes at village level for manpower needs was also one of the proposals and another proposal was to set up SME Banks with less documentaion for customer convenience. When asked about the other pre-budget proposals, the Minister said that tax exemptions would be given for gem mining and duty concessions will be provided to import lapidary and photographic machinery. He also said that one of his proposals would be to set up a professional service bureau which would function as a consultant Agency comprising engineers,architects and quantity surveyors. The panel for pre-budget proposals was chaired by Minister Rohitha
Bogollagama, Secretary to the Ministry of Advanced Technology, Lal Kumara
Gamage, Member of the Board of Directors of the SME Bank, Chris
Dharmakeerthi and Chairman SME Bank, Dr. Bandula Perera as members. |
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