Govt. justifies salt imports amid criticism over local production capacity

Wednesday, 29 January 2025 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government yesterday defended its decision to allow the importation of 30,000 tons of salt, citing repeated requests from industrial stakeholders and a shortfall in domestic production due to adverse weather conditions.

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday clarified the reasoning behind the move and said the country faces an annual shortfall of 60,000 tons of salt driven mostly by the needs of the industries.

“Generally, the country requires 180,000 tons of salt annually and while our production capacity is 200,000 tons, output has fallen to 120,000 tons due to adverse weather conditions in the regions where the production is taking place,” he explained at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing.

The decision by the Government sparked debate, given the country’s geographic advantages and the potential for local production.

He noted that the priority for the imports was the industrial sector, which relies heavily on a stable salt supply.

“As a result the Cabinet approved importing 30,000 tons of salt, with 4,050 tons which will be purchased through State Trading Corporation (STC) and the rest allocated to private sector firms in consultation with the Industries and Trade Ministries,” Dr. Jayatissa said.

The Cabinet Spokesman also highlighted that salt imports are not an unprecedented move by the incumbent Government, with such imports being common from 2009 to 2018.

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