Chamber of Commerce to strengthen Trinco entrepreneurs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 October 2002, 20:29 GMT]
"The entrepreneurs in Trincomalee district suffered immensely for the last twenty years. Local industrialists were left to struggle on their own. Banks refused to give financial assistance. After the cease-fire agreement came into force for the first time in its 54 year old history, the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka has come forward to assist the local entrepreneurs of the district," said Mr.K.Thurairajah, the newly elected President of Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce, addressing the inaugural meeting.

The Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce was inaugurated Wednesday at the office of the Trincomalee District Secretariat. The Chief Guest was Trincomalee Divisional Secretary Mr. Sundaram Arumainayagam.

The Guest of Honour was Mr. Roy Jayasinghe, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Enterprise Development Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion.

The Secretary of the Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce (TDCC) Mr.R.Rajarammohan said:

The President and Secretary of the Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce, Mr.K.Thurairajah and Mr.R.Rajarammohan (from Left) respectively are seen with the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Enterprise Development Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, Mr.Roy Jayasinghe at the inaugural event held Wednesday at the Trincomalee district secretariat.

"We have records to prove, as far back as 15th century, that the Trincomalee harbour and Kottiyar Bay were two significant ports for imports and exports. We exported pearls, areca nuts and many other products, even elephants. There were many rich commercial towns such as Killiveddy and Thampalakamam in the district. But the people of this area were never given the the opportunity to become stakeholders in the commercial or in the administrative sectors.

"Our hard work only benefited the Government of the day and our rulers of the past. This is indeed a sad state of affairs and an inevitable consequence in a centralized political structure.

"Today, fortunately, the present government and the LTTE have agreed to negotiate peacefully to arrive at a fair and equitable agreement. People are very optimistic about the peace process.

"Trincomalee is the regional administrative capital of the North East today with an economy that is primarily based on agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry. The village economy depends on these primary sectors. The urban sector is mainly involved in service and construction industries to cater the demand from harbour, mega factories, tourism and provincial administration."

The President of the NCCSL Mr. Chandra Embuldeniya, Mr. Roy Jayasinghe, and Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Enterprise Development Industrial policy and Investment Promotion also spoke. Several industrialists from Colombo attended the inaugural event of the TDCC.

The President of the TDCC, Mr.N.Thurairaja and the President of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, Mr. Chandra Embuldeniya exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding at the end of the inaugural event.