New Chairman of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon Bhathiya Bulumulla implored the Government to give the Regional Plantation Companies a good hearing to resolve the current issues and take forward the Plantations to the next level.
“No government should forget that the Regional Plantation Companies have totally relieved the Treasury’s burden of funding over Rs. 40 bn. annually for the operations of the plantations for the last 28 years since privatization, (totaling to Rs. 1,120 billion or Rs. 1.1 trillion) Bulumulla told Daily News Finance yesterday.
Bulumulla, who is also Director/ CEO of Elpitiya Plantations PLC which is owned and managed by Aitken Spence Plantations Managements ( Pvt) Ltd said, “The Regional Plantations Companies have also invested approximately Rs 50 billion as at date to improve the agricultural conditions and development of infrastructure, fields, factories and the living/social standard of the worker populations on the plantations , from what it was at the time of privatization.
The estates were privatized on a bid document given to the Companies and the Regional Plantation Companies having agreed to abide by the bid document have invested heavily for the development of the plantations .
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| Bhathiya Bulumulla |
Unfortunately successive governments have violated the terms and conditions stipulated in the bid documents and deprived the rights vested with the companies go ahead with their strategies for the development of the plantations to optimize the productivity of the land.
With the wage negotiations billed for 2021 again, It is high time that the Regional Plantation Companies and the Trade Unions agree on a sustainable and productivity based wage model, for the survival of this 150 years old prestigious plantation industry and the future of over a million people resident on the plantations.
Although the Government, under Prime Minister (then President) Mahinda Rajapaksa has set a target to plant 20,000 hectares in Oil Palm in 2014 to preserve the foreign exchange and to meet part of the country’s edible oils and fat requirement, a ban has been imposed for cultivation of Oil Palm at present.
The Government should seriously consider lifting the ban on oil palm cultivation, considering the benefits this crop brings to the country by saving valuable foreign exchange, he said.
Cinnamon cultivation and establishment of Commercial forestry are some of the other diversification made by the Plantation Companies.
The Regional Plantation Companies brought world recognition to Ceylon Tea by obtaining certification for its quality and manufacturing process from over 20 world renowned certification organizations.
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