The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, at the time of Adjournment, I move the following Motion:

¶ 02 “Despite the availability of abandoned human and physical resources, most areas in the Northern Province — particularly the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya — have not been fully utilized to contribute to the country’s export economy. Key reasons include inadequate awareness regarding exports and markets, lack of sufficient infrastructure facilities and the absence of Government support for rural cottage industries.

¶ 03 Agriculture and fisheries are widely practiced in the Northern Province. Paddy cultivation holds an important place, and the fisheries sector also contributes notably to the economy. However, their potential to contribute to national export income has not been adequately harnessed. Although there is capacity, it has not been properly utilized so far.

¶ 04 Many Sri Lankans living overseas are eager to purchase Sri Lankan products, yet there is inadequate knowledge among our people on how to tap export markets or on international-level promotion and marketing of our products. This is a major problem.

¶ 05 I urge the Government and the relevant Ministries to take swift measures to strengthen, in the above districts in particular, palm (palmyrah)-based industries, vegetable and fruit products and fisheries-related cottage industries; to formulate export-market strategies and programmes; to provide training on product quality; and to provide necessary infrastructure and transport facilities to ease export operations, together with cooperation for the supply chain.

¶ 06 By empowering small and medium scale exporters in the Northern Province, we can strengthen the domestic economy and increase national export earnings. I urge the Government, relevant Ministries and officials to work together to take swift and effective action to identify and unlock the economic potential of viable cottage industries in these districts.”

¶ 07 Madam Presiding Member, due to the long war, SMEs in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya suffered severely. Today, the Government is engaged in various development efforts in the North: developing the saltern at Araly in Jaffna, the chemical factory at Parantan, the industrial estates at Mangkulam and the glove factory at Ottusuddan, to strengthen the national economy.

¶ 08 Further, the Government is working to establish a palmyrah triangle in the North and to promote enterprises. In Vavuniya, 1,000 acres are being cultivated with cassava for export. In Mandaitivu, an international cricket ground is being constructed to boost tourism and foreign exchange. In Jaffna, a modern indoor sports arena is being built. In this context, I brought this Motion to further strengthen SMEs in the North.

¶ 09 In 2022, the Northern Province contributed 4 percent to GDP; in 2023 it was 4.5 percent, while the Southern Province contributed 43 percent. This shows a wide economic gap. By boosting SME activity and exports, we can raise the Northern share of GDP.

¶ 10 The North has unique strengths — marine products, agricultural produce and palmyrah-based products. There is demand abroad for onions, grapes, mangoes and jakfruit from our region. To export successfully, Government must support producers with programmes, including technology and export know-how. Many lack such knowledge; through capacity-building we can open opportunities. We expect this to be done quickly, and there are already efforts underway.

¶ 11 Sixteen years after the war, unlike past Governments that ignored Northern development, our Government has extended a hand of friendship to the North and its people. By increasing production and exports, we can make the Northern Province as prosperous as any other province. I urge that we all work together towards that goal. I commend the Motion to the House.