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| Sunday, 09 April 2006 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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CNCI clarifies The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries has sent the following statement on a news item titled "Chamber mislead on polythene ban" which appeared in the Business section in the Sunday Observer on page 48 on April 2. "We the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI), the premier industrial chamber in the country express our serious concern and disappointment of the incorrect news item with a misleading banner headline titled "Chamber mislead on polythene ban" carried in the Business Section of (page no. 48) of the Sunday Observer edition of 2nd April 2006. Our Chamber which has been in existence for the past 46 years have contributed largely in the growth of the industrial sector which contributes substantially towards the economic progress in Sri Lanka and we are a responsible Chamber consisting of leading business personalities in the country which would neither be misled nor would we mislead anybody. Our reaction and the media briefing held on 26th March 2006 was a result of several news items which appeared in prominent Sinhala and English dailies of the country especially your sister paper "Silumina" which categorically stated that a cabinet paper has been approved for the ban of plastics and polythene with effect from April 2006. Regretfully though we have to state that if your findings are true then it's not only CNCI that is misled but your sister paper "Silumina" edition of Sunday 26th March 2006 too has been misled. There were news items in responsible state and private print media that the Minister of Health has instructed the Director of Epidemiology Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe to prepare a cabinet paper proposing the ban on polythene and plastics which was followed by similar news items threatening the ban of polythene and plastics in several news dailies including that of ANCL. We made our own investigations and even inquired from the Secretary to the Minister of Industrial Development on more than two occasions and he was not in a position to advise us whether the news items were true or false. In this scenario as a responsible Chamber looking after the interest of our members, the industrialists and safeguarding the industries in Sri Lanka had to be proactive in making the public and the authorities aware of an uncertain situation where an industry which employs a substantial work force direct and indirect losing their livelihood. As a responsible media even to date neither your publications nor any other publications have got the views and verified the truth about the proposed ban from the responsible ministers/authorities and published same for the benefit of all concerned. In conclusion, may we mention that your banner headline misleads the reader while the proposed ban on polythene and plastics still remains the industry threatened. We trust that you would give equal publicity to our response to your news item." Editor's note: The comment of the Secretary General of the CNCI on the news item confirms that the facts are correct. What we said was that the CNCI's protest was only based on some news reports and that the CNCI had not consulted the relevant authorities. According to CNCI's reply, even the Secretary to the Ministry of Industries had not confirmed the proposed total ban of plastic and polythene. It also shows that the chamber had not clarified the issue with the Ministry of Environment or the Central Environment Authority (CEA). Generally business chambers do not react to news reports without ascertaining the facts. They are very responsible and well aware of all information before they publicly criticise or appreciate any policy decision of the government. All media institutions including the ANCL group of newspapers have correctly reported the statements made by responsible ministers. If the CNCI's protest was based on mere statements of ministers and
politicians without finding the facts who is to be blamed?. |
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