Political personages out to exploit trade opportunities in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 June 2009, 11:23 GMT]
The minister of Industrial Development, paid a sudden visit to Jaffna Monday where he visited the CEYNOR fishing net production unit in Kurunakar and explored schemes to reactivate Kaangkeasnaththu’rai Cement Factory, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka government has announced that the transport of goods to and from Jaffna through A9 road by lorries will be commencing from 16 June prodding powerful political personalities to take a sudden and active interest in trading and investment possibilities in Jaffna peninsula, Jaffna Traders’ Union (JTU) sources said.

Naveen Dissanayake, the Minster of Investment Promotion, had come on a similar visit to Jaffna Saturday.

The government which had not permitted private lorries to transport goods to Jaffna from Colombo through the A9 land route has announced its intention of allowing private sector to transport goods to Jaffna in lorries.

According to this arrangement nearly 200 lorries will be engaged daily in transporting goods between Colombo and Jaffna.

Powerful political personages who have control of this arrangement are aiming to exploit the above situation to make quick and easy money, JTU sources in Jaffna said.

Millions of rupees are demanded as bribe from private lorry owners who wish to transport goods to Jaffna, the sources added.