LSPWU demands to bring back Lanka Sugar under Commerce Ministry

Chairman of Lanka Sugar Progressive Workers Union Lalith Sripal joined by workers of Lanka Sugar Ltd expresses views at the Industry and Commerce Ministry 

Workers of State-owned Lanka Sugar (Private) Limited flocked to President’s office on 31 on Thursday complaining that after the operation has been swapped to a different Ministry from its parent, it now risks falling back to a ‘loss-making venture’ that it used to be.

“Under the Commerce and Industry Ministry, Lanka Sugar turned around with Rs. 1 billion profits in less than a year,” noted Chairman of Lanka Sugar Progressive Workers Union (LSPWU) Lalith Sripal. LSPWU’s Sripal was from Sevanagala Factory, and was leading a Lanka Sugar worker delegation to the President’s office that afternoon and was speaking of the demands they submitted to the President. 

“Lanka Sugar (Private) Limited has been removed from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce during the recent Cabinet reshuffle and now placed under a different ministry. We believe this move would ruin Lanka Sugar’s progress.

 We believe that later on, Lanka Sugar would be re-transferred to someone else on the pretext of it “is a loss-making venture.” 

Lanka Sugar (Private) Limited, a fully government-owned entity has Sevanagala and Pelwatte production units under it. Lanka Sugar was brought under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in December 2015 from the Plantations Ministry. At the time of this transfer, Lanka Sugar was operating at a huge loss of Rs. 1 billion.