Sri Lanka export oriented manufacturing enterprises have been directed to continue their operations without any interruptions subject to the management taking required measures to protect the employees by following health and safety procedures.
Amidst the measures taken by the government to mitigate the impact of Covid -19 outbreaks in the island, Presidential secretary P.B. Jayasundera has issued this directive to ensure that the economic functions of the country should continue to be undertaken unabated.
This intension of the government has been conveyed by him in a letter sent yesterday to the army commander Lt Gen. Shavendra Silva who is also the chairman of National Operating Centre for prevention of Covid -19 outbreak.
It was copied to the Chairman BOI, Chairman Sri Lanka Tea Board and the Commissioner General of Labour.
However opposition JVP vehemently condemned this directive claiming that hundreds of thousands of employees working in export oriented factories in export processing zones and other industrial zones as well as other export enterprises will face risk of getting infected by corona virus without proper health care mechanisms.
JVP National organizer Bimal Rathnayaka has urged the President not to put the lives of these innocent employees at a grave risk by making irresponsible orders at a time the whole country has been put on Covid -19 alert even imposing island wide curfew.
He pointed out that hundreds of thousands of workers working in export oriented factories in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara Districts as well as in export processing zones will have to report for duty ignoring the corona virus risk on the government’s directive.
He informed the President that country’s economy could be rebuilt after taking maximum measures to eradicateCovid19 from the island nation.
(LI)