Minister says 40 factories closed between 2005 and 2011

 Thursday, 19 December 2013 

Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena has said that 40 garment factories have been shut down between the period of 2005 and 2011.

He has told parliament that there were 160 garment factories that had registered with the Board of Investment (BoI) in the period between 2005 and 2011, but 40 factories were shut down in the same period.

He has given breakdown saying that six factories were shut down in 2005, 14 in 2006, 13 in 2007, five in 2008 and one each in 2009 and 2010.

Abeywardena has noted that the apparel sector in the country was operating well without quotas and the GSP Plus facility.

He has added that there are 7,000 vacancies in the apparel sector and that people are yet to be found to fill them.

Two shops set on fire by unidentified group in Elpitiya 

    December 19, 2013
Two shops set on fire by unidentified group in Elpitiya

An unidentified group of persons had set fire to two shops in the Kurundugahahathapma area in Elpitiya this morning, the Police Media Unit told Ceylon Today Online.

The two shops were severely damaged in the incident, while the Police had completely doused the fire.

A jewellery shop and a spice shop were set on fire by the group of unknown persons.

Police said the shops may have been set on fire as group of persons had objected to the establishment of the shops in the area on previous occasions.

The Elpitiya Police are carrying out further investigations into the incident.  (Ceylon Today Online)