(UTV | COLOMBO) – Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has requested all apparel factory owners and the business community to face challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic while protecting employees, instead of dismissing them.
The Premier made this statement during a meeting at the Temple Trees yesterday pertaining to issues faced by the Sri Lanka Apparel Brands Association and the Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association.
Views were also expressed regarding obtaining bank loans, resolving issues pertaining to opening Letters of Credit and the COVID-19 vaccination process of factory workers.
The Office of the Prime Minister said representatives also expressed views on reopening clothing stores in line with health guidelines, and concerns regarding the Employees Provident Fund and the Employees Trust Fund.
The representatives said their businesses have been crippled for the past two years due to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic, and requested the Prime Minister to grant emergency concessions through the Ministry of Finance, in order to continue businesses.
The representatives further stated it is a difficult task to continue operations and support employees, adding that laying them off is the only alternative, adding however that, that too has become difficult at present.
