The inaugural ceremony for the launch of 500 Highland franchise outlets across the island, with the aim of popularizing Highland products of Milco (Private) Limited among consumers, was held yesterday (22) at the auditorium of the Govijana Mandiraya, under the patronage of the K.D. Lalkantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation.
Joining the occasion, the Chairman of Milco Company, Hemajeewa Gotabhaya, stated that this project of launching 500 Highland franchise outlets will allow consumers to purchase their products from a single location, and also have the opportunity to obtain quality products such as Thriposha, Sugar Corporation products, and Spice Council products at reasonable prices.
“Launch of 500 Highland franchise outlets across the island begins”
Emphasizing that the responsibility of the outlets is to maintain sufficient stock, Mr. Gotabhaya mentioned that these outlets will provide the opportunity to purchase milk and related products without shortages and to make local products more readily available.
Here, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha, expressed his views as follows:
‘Milco, which was an institution slated for sale, is in a difficult situation to expand its operations due to an agreement made with Amul Company under a decision taken by previous governments. The NLDB has 32 of our farms. We are ready to work with the nation’s needs in a way that avoids major bureaucratic entanglements.
The process of activating 500 outlets within this year is a serious task. Currently, there are about 180 outlets. Accordingly, reaching 500 outlets within this year is a very significant development.
This project, being a network of outlets that includes many state-owned products, is a unique matter.
Speaking about the current government’s economic policy, it is economic democracy. Previously, the economy was in the hands of a small group of cliques. Under the principle of economic democracy, everyone can be involved in the economic process. There is an opportunity for that. Everyone involved in the economic process should receive their fair share of the benefits. Everyone should be given a fair share. Otherwise, none of these institutions can be maintained.
Just as the milk producer should receive a correct and fair share, the consumer should also receive fairness. Graduates are also asking us to give them an opportunity to get involved in the economy. That is the meaning of asking for a job. Our aim is to involve everyone in the country’s economy. Creating 500 entrepreneurs is a good step for that. Economic democracy is necessary for economic reconciliation.
The National Livestock Development Board received requests for land for durian cultivation, to send durian to Malaysia, asking for 500 acres, citing the reason of earning foreign exchange. However, the basic foundation of our ministry is to produce food crops for the food security of our people. We do not give land that should be given for that purpose for other objectives. The concept brought by the previous rulers regarding neo-liberalism was that the government should be free from economic activities.
Even today, we look for a bottle of curd. Such products can be used without suspicion as non-toxic products. All the toxins entered the market under the name of neo-liberalism. Institutions like the National Livestock Development Board and Milco were removed from the government due to this neo-liberalism, that is, the government withdrawing from the economy.
As a result of the collapse of all state institutions, the public service collapsed. Earlier, working in government institutions was something with great recognition. But now, the government employee is looked upon with the attitude of being a thief. The whole country collapsed due to two sectors: the first is politics, and the second is the public service.
As a policy, we thought that these two should be fixed first. The country cannot be built without fixing these two. We are in an era of transformation in the country. We believe that the political transformation has been done well. Theft, fraud, and corruption have been stopped one hundred percent. After establishing the mechanism in local government institutions, theft, fraud, and corruption can be completely eliminated.
If the salaries of public servants are insufficient, they can be increased. Trade union action can be taken for that. As a trade union, we also help with such things.’
The occasion was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry, D.P. Wickramasinghe, the Chairman of Milco Institution, Hemajeewa Gotabhaya, and many officials involved in the project.
