The inaugural event of the “FACE TO FACE – MEET THE MINISTER” program, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, aimed at meeting regional industrialists and entrepreneurs beyond Colombo, addressing the issues they face, and strengthening the production economy, was held at the Hambantota District Secretariat on Wednesday (Feb 12).

The “FACE TO FACE – MEET THE MINISTER” program has been launched based on a concept suggested by Minister of Industry Sunil Handunnetti.

Under the leadership of Minister Sunil Handunnetti and Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, the program focused on addressing the issues faced by industrialists and entrepreneurs in the Hambantota district. 

During the meeting, the ministers took steps to direct these concerns to the relevant responsible authorities.

The event, attended by numerous government officials representing state institutions, discussed various challenges faced by industrialists, including land issues, taxes levied by the government, technical requirements, access to necessary infrastructure for industries, raw material supply, raw material transportation, power supply, environmental issues, and difficulties faced when obtaining services from state institutions.

Industrialists from various fields, including agriculture, fisheries-related industries, fibre, ceramics, bricks, tiles, tourism, and salt, participated in the program, aiming to resolve the issues they face, representing small, medium, and large-scale industries.

Minister Sunil Handunnetti, in addressing the industrialists, emphasized that the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development is working to swiftly complete projects in the Bata Atha and Suriyawewa industrial zones and provide these industrial zones to the industrialists as quickly as possible. 

He also mentioned efforts to offer tax relief to industrialists for raw materials and semi-finished goods. (Newswire)

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