The Government will not allow any private or State firm to import printed National Flags and Buddhist flags to Sri Lanka, State Minister of Batik, Handloom Fabrics and Local Apparel Products, Dayasiri Jayasekara told the Sunday Observer on Friday in Kurunegala.
“About Rs. 560 million has been spent by Sri Lanka during the past five years, during the previous ‘Good Governance’ government to import printed flags. It is a real waste of our foreign exchange as we have enough resources of our own to manufacture quality flags at a lesser cost in Sri Lanka.
“If we manufacture them here, many of our local industrialists and unemployed and talented youngsters would get business and job opportunities too.
“I have assured President Gotabaya Rajapakse that my Ministry would take steps early next year to manufacture these flags to meet the total needs of the country,” State Minister Jayasekara said.