'Private sector should do more for educated youth'

The building of infrastructure facilities by the government has enabled the private sector to operate freely, said Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Nimal Siripala de Silva at the Top Twenty Five Business Awards ceremony last week.

He said that the government recruited 60,000 graduates recently. Some of the recruits were earlier employed in the private sector. They were earning handsome salaries.

They left the lucrative private sector and joined the government for a paltry salary of Rs. 10,000 per month.

"They left because there was something lacking in the private sector. The private sector has failed to attract the confidence of educated youth. How can you ignore such a vibrant young work force? Have you done enough for your workers? Have you done enough for the youth of this country; to stimulate them to join you and to keep them with you?

"Have you trained them? Have you taken steps to teach them English and to what extent you have helped the lower and middle level employees develop skill? Have you offered foreign trips and exposure to this category to strengthen them? Those are the lapses and that's why educated youth are little frightened to join the private sector.

"Last year the wealthiest twenty percent of the people consumed Rupees 4,200 billion a year, while twenty percent of the poorest consumed only Rs. 312 billion. If we do not address this social inequity it will become a time bomb and when it explodes it will destroy society including your institutions. Therefore, we have a big challenge ahead. The private sector has a responsibility to ensure that this gap does not widen," he said.