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“Sri Lanka to export milk powder to China next year “

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Sri Lanka will achieve self-sufficiency in milk powder next year and create history by launching exports to China, said Chairman Pelwatte Dairy Industries (Pvt) Ltd, Ariyaseela Wickramanayake.

He told Sunday Observer Business that Sri Lanka’s milk powder imports have reduced drastically while local production has increased.

The quantity of milk powder imported in 2019 was 99 million kg, compared to 96 million kg in 2020. The quantity of milk powder imports in 2018 was 98 million kg, marking a drop of five million kg between 2018 and 2019, and a further two million kg drop between 2019 and 2020. The average milk powder import bill is around USD 400 million.

Last year only 12 million kilos were imported which saved around USD 350 million for the country. “This amount has further decreased up to now,” he said.

Wickramanayake, also said that successive governments have to be praised for encouraging more dairy farmers to get involved in the industry by increasing the price of a litre of fresh milk. “This happened four times soon after elections and the prices went up from Rs. 30 in 2005 where the country had around 200 million litres of fresh milk to Rs. 50 per litre and production increased to 250 million litres in 2010.

After the 2015 election the price per litre of liquid milk increased to Rs. 75 and local production increased to 350 million litres and today the total local fresh milk production is around 600 million litres and it is increasing. The farmer gets around Rs. 225 per litre of fresh milk. “Soon Sri Lanka will have a surplus and this is where we will look at exports.”

He said that recently the milk produced by local farmers was in excess of demand and some protested by throwing them on the streets.

“This is the time Pelwatte Dairy Industries stepped in and upped our production capacity and started collecting 150,000 litres of milk per day which was a colossal achievement and a great victory for the daily sector in Sri Lanka.” He said that they are investing around Rs. 1.5 billion and building a factory in Kurunegala and this would be ready by August. This factory will concentrate only on exports.

“When the factory is completed we will increase our local fresh milk intake to 300, 000 litres and then by early next year we will start powdered milk exports to China reversing the trends where Sri Lanka spent huge amounts of money for milk powder imports,” he said.

The company also created another major landmark when a consignment of Pelwatte Ceylon Butter was exported to the Maldives on Friday. “Next we will be exporting Pelwatte Ceylon butter to Japan.”

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Maithri ordered to provide statement before court

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The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court has ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to provide a statement to court on April 04, based on the recent comments he had made over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

The order was issued today (28) after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reported the relevant facts to the court, on the instructions of the Attorney General.

Mr. Sirisena had made this statement on March 22 and several factions had subsequently filed complaints with the Criminal Investigation Department in this regard.

The former President had even recorded a statement for around five-hours with the CID on Monday (March 25) over his recent comments.

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Sinopec to commence work on refinery project by June

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Minister of Power and Energy – Kanchana Wijesekera has stated that officials of the Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding Pvt Ltd (SOIHL), led by their vice President, had visited the ministry yesterday (March 27).

Tweeting, the minister added that the delegation updated on the progress of the negotiations with stakeholders for the construction of the proposed new refinery in Hambantota.

Noting that the officials indicated that the management of Sinopec has decided to double the capacity of the refinery from the original proposal and the Investment, he added that they intend to sign the agreements for the project and commence work by June 2024.

Discussions regarding the water supply, power supply, land allocation & BOI facilities will take place today with the relevant authorities, the Minister further noted.

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New online reporting system to combat child sexual abuse, launched

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The launch of an online platform enabling the swift removal of websites, photos, and videos containing or potentially containing instances of child sexual abuse took place today (March 28) at the Presidential secretariat under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.Recognizing the urgency of addressing child abuse in cyberspace, this initiative targets the dissemination of nude photos and indecent videos of children through internet and social media channels. Implemented by the National Child Protection Authority in collaboration with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), renowned for its expertise in internet child safety enforcement, this program receives financial support from Save the Children and Child Fund.

Following the implementation of this online system, individuals can now visit the website of the National Child Protection Authority at www.childprotection.gov.lk to report incidents of indecent photos and videos of children exchanged online. These reports will be handled by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in collaboration with the National Child Protection Authority. Subsequently, the offending videos will be promptly removed from the internet, and legal action will be pursued against the perpetrators.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing this event said;

“For several decades, this sector has been neglected. The government has indeed neglected it, and the attention it warranted has not been provided. The magnitude of the problem now is such that resolving it within a year seems implausible. We lack the capacity to address the issue comprehensively; therefore, we must employ a variety of strategies.

Firstly, short-term recommendations must be promptly implemented. We propose that the existing committee include stakeholders from the government, specifically authorities in child care and probation services, along with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the police force. Strengthening police numbers, particularly in women and children’s desks at every police station, is imperative. This effort must be coordinated with measures against drugs.Additionally, we must consider establishing a new structure and enacting new legislation. I advocate for the formation of a Children’s Council to oversee both the promotion of children’s interests and their protection. The management of probation and child care services should be devolved to the nine provinces, as I believe this responsibility does not necessarily belong to the central government.”

He added that immediate action should be taken on short-term recommendations, while the process of enacting new legislation pertaining to children’s rights should also be expedited.

For further information, contact the Law Enforcement Division at 011-2778911 extension (269) or visit the official website www.childprotection.gov.lk.The launch of this online initiative was attended by Minister of State for Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Geeta Kumarasinghe, Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority, Senior Lecturer Mr Udayakumara Amarasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Yamuna Perera, and representatives from various organizations dedicated to ensuring child safety.

(President’s Media Division)

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