Wimal Weerawansa, Minister of Industry says that madeinsrilanka.org is the first government-guaranteed online portal dedicated to the needs of micro, small and medium scale manufacturers and industrialists who contribute 52% to the country’s GDP and
this is a non-profit, non-profit online trading portal that allows the consumer or business to order only good quality local products.
He was delivering the keynote address at the launch of the madeinsrilanka.org Internet Trade Gate organized by the National Enterprise Development Authority under the auspices of the Ministry of Industries at the BMICH premises in Colombo.
He further said that,
‘ Sri Lanka poses biggest threat to Israel’ I am reminded of a speech made by our Secretary on this occasion. It is based on a question asked by the Israeli army chief during his visit to Israel. When he went to Israel as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, the Commander-in-Chief of Israel asked, “Do you know from which country we are threatened?” Then think for a moment and say ‘Iran’. But the Israeli army chief laughed and said, “That too is a problem, but it can be managed.”
After further thought Mr. Daya Ratnayake says ‘it is not clear to me. In response, the Israeli army chief said, “We have the biggest threat from Sri Lanka.” Then former Army Commander Daya Ratnayake asks ‘why do you say that?’ Israel exports its military products, agricultural products, around the world. They have a ‘back desk’ for each such shipment. Every country has a staff to provide aftermarket services.
The ‘desk’ assigned to every other country is busy. They have to go to those countries often. But the ‘desk’ appointed for Sri Lanka is not busy. While they were waiting, a tool broke and they were told to come to Sri Lanka, but no such invitation came. The reason is that if something breaks, our people are very good at repairing it without the help of the original manufacturer, and our young generation has more than enough ability to do that.
I remember wartime heavy shipments from Israel were severely damaged along the way. There was no time to send them to Israel to repair them. The war was at a critical juncture. At that time a team of engineers from the University of Moratuwa was better able to build the stockpile and send it to save the Jaffna Peninsula.
If those weapons had to be shipped to Israel and brought back, our history would have been much different if we had not been able to use them at that time. This is a country where people come from that ability, talent, intelligence genes. This country is near the equator, the least exposed to gravity. That is why the best tea, the best pineapple, the best cinnamon, the best pepper are the best in this country. They are the values that nature has given us. And we live in a world where very intelligent people can be born.
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