Hundred-year-old “Varagoda Ceramic and Red Clay Center” back to the general public.
“There is a significant space for the Sri Lankan brand name in the world. It can be used to strengthen our export economy…” – Minister Ramesh Pathirana
“If rural resources are appropriately identified, bringing foreign exchange into the country is an easy task…” – State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera
Minister of Plantation and Industries Mr. Ramesh Pathirana says that there is a lot of space for the Sri Lankan brand in the world market and an export economy can be built by uplifting local industries with safety methods. The minister said this while addressing the ceremony held after the opening of Waragoda Ceramic and Red Clay Service Centers of the National Craft Council under the State Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
The ceremony was held today (08) in the morning, at the premises of the Ceramic and Red Clay Service Center in Kelaniya Waragoda.
This ceramic center, more than a hundred years old, has been crumbling for several decades. These centers formerly known as the clay school provided training to a large number of people engaged in the clay industry. Later, as the Waragoda Ceramic Center, the first ceramic training institute in Sri Lanka, a large mission related to the rural industry was carried out. With the intervention of State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera, this center which was renovated by the National Craft Council , and the training and production resumed today. This gives the opportunity to develop short-term and long-term courses to engage in the field.
Mr. Ramesh Pathirana further said that the right thing should be done to revive the local industries that have declined with the open economy, the opportunities for the local industrialists to compete with the export market should be expanded, and import substitution industries should be promoted.
Speaking there, State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera said that it is possible to overcome the foreign exchange challenges that Sri Lanka is facing by correctly identifying and managing rural resources. He further pointed out that the monthly salary of the graduate is limited to thirty-forty thousand rupees, and a woman or a man engaged in an industry doing the work of their children at home has the opportunity to earn two or three times more than that. He explained that he is ready to empower the national economy by showing the pride of Sri Lanka to the world by properly fulfilling the responsibility assigned by Minister Ramesh Pathirana to empower the local economy.
He also said that the lack of productivity in government institutions has led to accusing the two hundred and twenty-five ministers in the parliament
Simultaneously, the “Lak Shilpa” showroom was also opened.
State Minister of Indigenous Medicine, Lawyer Sisira Jayakodi, and Mr. Sampath Arehapola, chairman of the National Craft Council also addressed the gathering.
Prof. Kollupitiyae Mahinda Sangharakkhita Thero, Chancellor, University of Kelaniya, Mrs. Thilaka Jayasundara, secretary of the Ministry of Industries, Miss Shanti Kumuduni, Chairman, Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha, and other heads of line institutions and regional representatives were also present on this occasion.
