The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Minister, you know why I raised this question, particularly part (a)(iii). Since inception, the economic centres operated under a management arrangement: under the Ministry of Trade, Government Agents, and Divisional Secretaries. But recently you moved to register a company under the Companies Act called National Agri Market Services Limited, for which Cabinet approval was obtained. You have registered that company and appointed seven directors, including a Chairman K.R. Senanayake and two Directors of Operations. We do not know whether they are your friends or party loyalists, their positions, or their service records. The other four are said to hold certain public posts.

¶ 02 Hon. Minister, there is opposition to this. In your area Thambuttegama, and places like Keppetipola, Nuwara Eliya, and Dambulla, people are campaigning against it. Recently when you went to Dambulla, you had sent appointment letters to people in the markets, but they did not accept them and have filed a writ. You cannot do anything without consent. There is strong opposition from those in the economic centres.

¶ 03 My first supplementary question: You have set up a company and appointed a board of directors. Despite opposition from traders in these markets, will you continue with this?