One million home economic units

Thursday, 23 December 2010 00:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A special discussion on establishing one million home economic units

in the country was held with the participation of EconomicDevelopment Minister Basil Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Salinda Dissanayake, Reginold

Cooray, S.M Chandrasena, Rishad Bathiutheen, Muththu Sivalingam, Weerakumara Dasanayaka, Laxman Yapa Abeywardena, H.R. Mithrapala also attended the meeting.

Treasury Secretary P.B.Jayasundera and Media Secretary W.B. Ganegala too were in attendance.

This meeting was held to plan the programme with the support of all stakeholders of the Government.

Since this programme is not oriented for short term results each and every segments of the project should be equally responsible to make this programme a success, he said.

The objective of the discussion focused on enhancing the living standards of the people and strengthen their economic level with the assistance of administrative bodies of the Government. These home economic units will be put into practice in the coming Yala and Maha

seasons. Identification of the areas where these economic units are to be set up will be completed in the first month of next year, Minister Rajapaksa said. Under this programme, four key government officials who have direct contacts with the people will be in charge of the project.

Agrarian Research officers, Samurdhi officers, Gramasewa Niladharis and family

planning officers will be co coordinators of the entire project. A certain amount of families will be directly supervised by theseofficials to ascertain whether they are engaged in the project successfully, the Minister said. The project will cover all parts of the country. Several ministers

have already expressed their support to the programme. This will be conducted as a joint venture of several ministries, he added. Agriculture, industries, self employment, fisheries, livestocks, small crops exporters, animal husbandry, dairy industries and home garden will thus be strengthened with the direct support of the Government, he said. The Minister revealed that the Government will never let small businessman to be crushed at the hands of large scale businessmen.

He revealed that recently an ambassador asked the BOI permission to produce

yogurt in the country with the support of a leading global yogurt producer. But permission was not given as it could be a threat to the local yogurt producer, he said. Awareness campaign on this project will be conducted island wide and a special card will be issued to the people who will become the partners of this initiative.