Local handloom and power loom industry to be energised: Dayasiri

By Sandun A Jayasekera

Batik, Handloom, Fabric and Local Apparel Products State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara has stopped a move by the private sector to import 6.5 million national flags from China in view of the forthcoming National Day celebrations in February and has instructed local hand loom and power loom weavers to supply the demand in full using domestic resources and expertise, a spokesman of the Ministry said yesterday.   

“The state owned Salusala will provide fabrics, dye and other raw materials necessary to make national or lion flags to local weavers who have been registered under ‘Salusala’ and also market them at prices which would be lower than the imported ones,” he added. 

 
“Minister Jayasekara is of the view that it is shame if we can’t produce a national flag by ourselves,” he said.   
The spokesman said Minister Jayasekara has also instructed officials at the Ministry’s progress review meeting held on Thursday to take immediate action to provide facilities to those engaged in the local hand loom and power loom industry to produce robes required for Bhikkus and to stop the annual importation of 40,000 to 60,000 yellow robes from Thailand and China.   

The Batik, Handloom and Power loom, Fabric and Apparel Products Ministry also expects to make an appeal to 1.8 million public servants to come to office wearing an outfit made of Batik on January 1st, 2021 to give a boost to the local Batik industry, the spokesman said and he added that about 35,000 families in the Batticaloa District alone were engaged in the Batik industry.   

Minister Jayasekara’s objective is to put and end to importing of clothes, fabrics and dresses and produce them domestically using local resources and raw material, saving US$ 800 million annually, the spokesman noted.