Dr. Amunugama calls on Govt. to cut red tape in ceramic and glass industry

To strengthen Sri Lanka’s ceramic and glass industry, Special Assignment Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama yesterday stressed that the Government needs to consider industry challenges and relax the red tape.

He said Sri Lanka’s ceramic and glass industry has not made a full assessment of the resources and has to exploit it 100%, and that the Government needs to consider the challenges faced by the industry.

“The main problem in Sri Lanka is that it takes time to understand the potential and then to execute it, because there are so many red tape barriers to industries. Government must seriously address this issue in order for industries to leapfrog and become more competitive in the marketplace,” Dr. Amunugama added.

As President Maithripala Sirisena could not attend the event due to unavoidable circumstances, the Minister assured the industry stakeholders that the challenges and issues faced by them will be taken into consideration.

He pointed out that it was important to have a much closer dialogue between the industry and bureaucrats to improve the sector so as to contribute substantially to the national economy.

Dr. Amunugama also emphasised that it was essential for the Government to re-strategise its priorities, where it could release uneconomic sectors and focus on other productive sectors. “The Government is spending billions to irrigate the dry zone, but there is no economic outcome from that. Instead Government should focus on innovative manufacturing sectors.”

On a lighter note, he also said that the Government must also learn from the Amalean method to kick-start this Government.  

(C de S)