"Prioritize welfare of the employee, without getting limited to circulars" - Deputy Minister informs chairmen
The Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Hon. Rathna Gamage, undertook an inspection tour of the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation and the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation head offices on 02nd of December to personally inspect the damage caused by the recent flood.
During the visit to the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation, it was revealed that nearly 50 of its employees have been directly affected by the flood. The Deputy Minister instructed the Chairman to immediately provide the necessary financial and material assistance to rebuild their homes and recover the losses.
"The welfare of our employees must be given priority at this time. We must not limit ourselves to bureaucratic circulars, but provide immediate, meaningful support to boost their morale and get back on their feet," the Deputy Minister stated firmly and advised to use institutional funds or employee loan schemes for this purpose.
Thereafter, the Deputy Minister also visited the flood-damaged Wellamankara and Chilaw fishery harbours. He directed the managers of the harbour to conduct a rapid assessment of the damage to infrastructure including broken fences, roofs, inundated offices, fuel filling stations and damaged boats and to expedite the repair work in collaboration with the regional technical officers to restore full operational capacity.
At the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, the Deputy Minister inspected the damage to several outlets in Kandy, Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya districts and the fish stocks at the head office. He instructed the Chairman to expedite the repair of these outlets and restore the supply chain before the upcoming festive season.
"Our dual objective is to provide a fair price to the fisherman for his harvest and to enable the consumer to obtain fish at a concessional price, especially during the festive season," said by Hon. Gamage. The Deputy Minister called on all officials and stakeholders, regardless of party affiliation, to work together to overcome this setback.
