The Hon. Rathna Gamage - Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources

¶ 01 Hon. Member, as the Ministry, we are currently taking necessary action regarding irregularities in our institutions. Yesterday, the Chairman of the Fisheries Harbours Authority transferred responsible officers, including the Trincomalee Harbour manager, due to an exposed financial irregularity.

¶ 02 Regarding your question, within the past two years we have initiated legal action against those who engaged in corruption and fraud. The deterioration of the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation arose due to political interference. Chairs and top management were appointed on political loyalty alone, not on expertise. Our Government now establishes outlets only after feasibility studies. Many outlets set up previously have closed; we have had to re-establish them. For example, in Kotte/Rajagiriya a fish outlet was privately used; we have now reclaimed it for the Corporation through legal action. We are reclaiming many Colombo city outlets and operating properly. Accordingly, management is now proper, with a targeted plan. After we assumed office, the Corporation made a Rs. 59 million profit last year, and this year we are working to increase expected profit to Rs. 190 million.