Aggressive campaign to promote local products

Over 250 products under the 'Ganna Ape De Logo' will be introduced to the market this year to promote local brands and support industries, said Chairman, Mawbima Lanka Foundation, Ariyaseela Wickremanayake.

"Around 200 products were introduced to the market since the concept was launched last October and there has been a satisfactory response from consumers," he said.

The 'Ganna Ape De' concept was launched to promote locally manufactured products and recognise brands that are truly Sri Lankan granting them the right to use the Lion logo.

The Foundation launched a country-wide campaign last year to promote the concept that will help people to use more local products and save foreign exchange.

"The Foundation will spend around Rs. 170 million during the first three months of this year for advertising and promotional work. We need to value our products without being slaves to foreign goods," Wickramanayake said. The appreciation of the rupee is a positive sign for the economy and we need to produce more items for the country and capture more foreign markets. The Sri Lankan rupee depreciated to Rs. 112 against the US dollar last year.

Wickremanayake said the ban on slaughtering cows and the fine imposed was a good move of the 2008 budget which will help increase milk production which is low at present. A fine of Rs. 50,000 and a one-year jail term was introduced in the budget.

The country produces only 23 per cent of the required milk while large amounts of money are spent for imported brands annually. India which imported milk in the 1990s is today self-sufficient in milk.

We need to emulate countries that do not import food products. It is the consumer who can make a change by saying no to foreign brands. India has developed because people uphold the value of being Indian and buying Indian.

LF