All islands Fireworks Association (AIFA) made a fervent request from the Government to focus attention towards the plight of fireworks manufacturers at Kimbulapitiya in Negombo and other areas in the country as they are now facing severe hardships due to the current drop in the sales of their products.
According to AIFA the livelihood of nearly 200 fireworks manufacturers and over 50,000 people at Kimbulapitiya and few other fireworks manufacturing areas depend during the main festive seasons including the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Christmas, Vesak, Poson, Deepavali and Thai Pongal.
The AIFA further says that in addition, people use fireworks at weddings, opening ceremonies and other religious festivals.
The crackers are also used by villagers to protect their cultivation from birds and animals.
The legend says that the manufacturing firework commenced in ancient Ceylon at Kimbulapitiya during the Portuguese period and it later extended to few other main cities including Kandy, Galle, Kurunegala and Ratnapura. Speaking to Daily News Business AIFA, Chairman Dinesh Fernando said that there has been a continuous decline in the sale of fireworks during the past two years mainly due to the Easter Sunday attack last year and the COVID-19 pandemic situation which began from early March this year.
He said as a result of these two incidents, people did not use fireworks at several ceremonies held between these two incidents and manufacturers had to abandon producing fireworks.
“The manufacturers have already obtained large sums of money from banks and individual money lenders on high-interest rates to purchase chemicals such as aluminium, potassium and other main raw materials as they are imported from countries like Israel, Russia, China and India,” he said.
It is said that almost all the people engaged in the industry were now facing lots of financial hardships. The AIFA further revealed that this situation badly hampered the livelihood of people who are engaged in the industry and the Government should pay special attention to the welfare of this vulnerable sector.
The AIFA Chairman further said that there is no other alternative to solve this problem other than conducting the forthcoming Christmas festival under State patronage so that it will immensely help people to purchase fireworks and also to sell a large stock of their finished products during this period without any obstacle.
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