Tremendous potential for value added rubber and plastic goods

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

[email protected]

There is tremendous export potential for value added rubber and plastic goods in the world market.

Plastics and Rubber Institute's President Ananda Caldera told the 38th annual awards ceremony in Colombo last week that Sri Lanka exported over 50,000 tons of raw rubber last year, earning Rs. 12 billion. Had we converted them into value added products we would have earned substantial foreign exchange overtaking the tea industry in Sri Lanka, he said.

He said earnings from rubber, plastic and raw rubber products were Rs. 100 billion of which Rs. 65 billion came from export earnings. The Rubber Products Industry (RPI) has become a high value added industry with export earnings recording Rs. 18.2 billion to Rs 46.0 billion, during the past five years.

He said the Plastic and Rubber Products Industry had associated closely with the USAID during the past 15 years.

The USAID in several instances supported the RPI under the well-known Technology Initiative for the Private Sector(TIPS) and the Rubber Cluster Project. "I wish to note with gratitude the donation of books and multimedia equipment worth over Rs 2.2 million made by USAID's Mission Director, Rebecca Cohn," he said.

Those who successfully completed courses conducted by the Plastic and the Rubber Institute were awarded certificates.

The Plastic and Rubber Products Industry has held discussions with Akron University in Ohio to initiate an affiliate graduate program and had sought USAID assistance.

The Chief Guest Rebecca Cohn, the Mission Director of the USAID and the Guest of Honour Prof. Narada Warnasuriya, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura also spoke. Chairman, Society of Rubber, Dr. W. T. Ellawala, Dr. Robert Navin of USAID, the Past President of the PRI, Tilak de Zoysa, Immediate Past President, Sunil Liyanage, Upali Herath and J. Narangoda were present.

The Plastic and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka is a founding member of the Sri Lanka Society of Rubber Industry which is the national association of the polymer industry professionals established in 1960 as the local branch of the Institute of the Rubber Industry in London.

The membership of the institute comprises a wide range of professionals employed at technical, supervisory and higher level in the rubber and plastics industry in Sri Lanka. PRI offers course modules and training in the area of academic, research, technical, administrative, financial and in sales. Apart from organising studies, the institute provides and manages scholarships, prizes and training grants for its students. It also maintains a highly equipped library.