Incense stick manufacturers meet Minister Weerawansa

Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and the Industrial Development Board  are to take initiatives to provide bamboo reeds for the manufacturing of incense sticks which is said to be scarce, a statement from the ministry said.   

Minister Weerawana came up with the assurance when he met the incense stick producers in his ministry recently. 

 
The producers informed the Minister and the officials that the main issue faced by them was the scarcity of bamboo reeds used for manufacturing incense sticks.   

The Minister informed the incense stick producers that government decided to ban the importation of incense sticks in order to boost the local industry. He had also advised the relevant government officials to focus on cultivating bamboo trees in order to fulfill the needs of the raw materials required for the incense stick manufacturing.   

The manufacturers also stressed that the obstacles for transportation of bamboo reeds should also be addressed.   

IDB Chairman Upasena Dissanayake, officials of Department of Forestry, Mahaweli Authority, and  incense sticks industrialists participated in the meeting.