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| Sunday, 13 March 2005 |
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Politics |  |
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LSSP opposes sale of Eppawela phosphate The Lanka Samasamaja Party (LSSP) has come out strongly against the proposed sale of Eppawela Phosphate to foreign companies. In a statement issued few days ago the UNP demanded that PERC end forthwith any proposals in this regard. The statement: "The Lanka Samasamaja Party views with deep concern the moves by PERC to handover the exploitation of the Eppawela Phosphate Deposit to one or more foreign companies." "We strongly protest against the PERC proceeding on these lines as it is both against the national interest and also a breach of Court ruling that prohibited the sale of this property to any foreign company." "Phosphorus is one of the essential elements without which plants cannot grow." "There is a limited amount of phosphate, the main source of phosphorus, in the World and this is being rapidly exhausted. " "As is the case with oil, we can expect a progressive rise in its cost in the coming years." "In this context it would not be wise for Sri Lanka, which is an agricultural country, to part with a bulk of its only recognised phosphate deposit, despite whatever short-term economic benefits that may be derived by its sale." "The Court Order that prohibited the sale of the Eppawela Phosphate Deposit or part of it to a foreign company, stated that the deposit is the property of the people of Sri Lanka held in trust by the Government and that its full extent must be determined and that this course could be contemplated only if the conversion of the rock phosphate to an easily assimilable form of single or triple super phosphate to benefit our people could not be done in Sri Lanka. The Eppawela Phosphate Ltd., which is now managing the use of the deposit has utilised the technology developed by scientists in the University of Peradeniya, headed by Prof. Illeperuma, and produced single super phosphate." "This has now been successfully tried out in the field." "It can therefore, be produced in larger quantities in Sri Lanka to meet the needs of local farmers, without requiring any further imports." "Under these circumstances the moves by PERC to sell a part or whole of Eppawela Phosphate Deposit to foreign buyers is a violation of the Court Order." "The LSSP demands that any further moves in this regard by PERC should end forthwith." |
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