Minister of Industries, Wimal Weerawansha recently appointed the chairman and members of the Advisory Council of the Automobile Assembling and Automobile Components Manufacturing Industries in Sri Lanka. The appointments were made as part of the programme to focus greater attention on the twenty industries coming under the purview of the Ministry. The council consists of representatives of the respective government institutions and private sector manufacturers.
Dimantha Jayawardena, President of the Sri Lanka Automobile Components Manufacturers’ Association was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Council.
S.M.D.L. De Alwis, Secretary, State Ministry of Transport; T.V.D.D. Karunaratne, Controller General of the Department of Imports and Exports Control; W.M.R. Wijekoon, Director, Ministry of Industries; Indika Sugathadasa, Director, Export Development Board; Mahinda Jayawardena, Director, Sri Lanka Customs; Prasanjith Wijayathilaka, Director, Sri Lanka Board of Investment; S. Thennakoon, Director, Department of Motor Traffic; Eng. W.A.P.K. Nishantha, Director, Industrial Development Board; Shantha Jayasena, Chairman Lanka Ashok Leyland PLC; and W.S. Ferrnando, Deputy Chief Engineer Ceylon German Technical Training Institute were appointed as members representing government institutions. Dr. K.V.D.S. Chathuranga, of the Moratuwa University and Dr. H.K.G. Punchihewa of the Peradeniya University represent the universities while Asela Lihinikaduwa, Director, Micro Cars (Pvt) Ltd.; Ravith Silva, President, Sri Lanka Automobile Service Providers Association; Suren Galagoda, Director, Ideal Motors (Pvt) Ltd.; Kosala Madawala, (Head, Automobile Assembly), Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC; Dr. Shiyantha Cooray, Chairman, Leader Battery Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd.; Mahesh Gunathilaka, CEO, UNIMO Enterprises Ltd.; Geethal Anthony, CEO, TVS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.; Rajiv Chandrakumar, COO, Accolade Engineering (Pvt) Ltd.; and Sandeepa Wijesingha, CEO, Nevorp Corporation (Pvt) Ltd., were the other appointments.
Addressing the gathering at the distribution of the appointments, Minister Weerawansa said that he was prepared to grant space at the Sooriyawewa Industrial Zone in the future, for industrialists allied to this activity. He stressed that the Industries Ministry was ready to swiftly develop and maintain the vehicle assembly industry. He said that with the introduction of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the number of automobile assembly plants in the country grew from 3 to 10 and thereby opened the way for many more industrialists with international brand names to come into the country.
Also present on the occasion were the Secretary to the Ministry of Industries, Major General Daya Ratnayake (Retd.), Additional Secretary, Chaminda Pathiraja, Advisor to the Ministry, Sunil Hettiarachchi together with other officials of the Ministry of Industries, officers of government institutions and industrialists.