New garment factory for Sumithra opens up

09 Jul '07

3 min read

A new garment factory was opened at Hasalaka, Mahiyangana by the Sumithra Group of companies. Hon Navin Dissanayake, Minister of Investment Promotion, officially opened the factory.

Minister Dissanayake spoke of the importance of the factory to the welfare of the people in the region. The plant had been originally opened by garment industry pioneer Kumar Devapura, but had recently been taken over by the Sumithra Group of Companies.

The Minister stated that often the focus has been on negative news such as the prevailing conflict, but there are also positive events such as the opening of a factory that has provided employment to so many young people in a lesser-developed part of the country.

"We should strive to make our country like Singapore or Malaysia", he added.

The new factory is a project that comes under the 300 Enterprises Programme of the BOI. Under this scheme, the BOI encourages investors to set up a project in each one of the 300 Divisional Secretariats outside of Colombo and Gampaha. The 300 Enterprises Programme is part of the Government's Mahinda Chinthana Programme, which has as its prime objective the reduction of inequalities in rural areas.

The Nipayun Sri Lanka Programme has advanced considerably since its establishment over a year ago. To date a total 230 projects have been approved by the BOI out of a total of 300. It is accurate to say that these enterprises have given a new dimension to the economy of the people of outlying areas. They have played a part in alleviating some of hardships faced by the populations of these areas.

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