Owners of trade stalls at several economic centres have expressed firm opposition to the government’s decision to bring five major centres under the control of a newly established company, warning that they will not accept sudden changes to a system that has operated for decades.
The concerns were raised during a discussion held yesterday (31) at the Dambulla Economic Centre, attended by Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe. The meeting was convened to brief traders on plans to form a new management board, appoint seven directors, and transfer five economic centres currently managed by a trust to the proposed company.
Deputy Minister Sunil Biyanwila, government officials, members of the Dambulla Economic Centre Traders’ Association, and representatives of the Economic Centre Management Trust also participated.
Tensions escalated during the meeting as traders directly challenged the Minister, pointing out that the economic centres have been managed by the trading community for more than 35 years. They objected to what they described as an attempt to impose a new management structure without prior notice or consultation.
Traders insisted that they would not allow new teams to take over their premises abruptly, emphasizing that the existing trust has successfully administered the centres for over three decades.
Responding to the concerns, Minister Samarasinghe said the new company was formed to regulate the economic centres and ensure fair pricing for the public. He announced that the Dambulla, Nuwara Eliya, Thambuttegama, Keppetipola, and Narahenpita economic centres would be brought under the new company, and that monthly tax revenues collected from these centres would be required to be paid to the company starting next month.
The Minister assured that the proposed changes would not undermine the rights of farmers or traders.
However, the trading community rejected the proposal, arguing that transferring long-standing businesses to a new institution without a proper inquiry was unacceptable. They stressed that the centres have been managed for over 30 years through a strong and established trust.
Traders also revealed that legal action had already been filed against a company previously approved by the Cabinet to manage the centres, alleging that the government had changed the company’s name after Cabinet approval and proceeded without obtaining fresh authorization.
They further highlighted that the Dambulla Economic Centre has independently carried out development activities for nearly 29 years without state funding and has accumulated savings of around Rs. 250 million under the trust. Traders added that they provide farmers with interest-free loans, seeds, and other support for cultivation, and stated they were unwilling to hand over control to an unfamiliar entity.
During the discussion, traders also reminded the Minister of a pledge made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during an election visit to Dambulla, promising a 30-year lease agreement for traders at the economic centre. The Minister did not respond to this claim at the meeting.
Addressing questions from journalists later, Minister Samarasinghe said the company name approved by the Cabinet had subsequently been changed and that he would seek Cabinet approval for the revised name at a later stage.
Amid strong opposition, the Minister said further discussions would be held on a future date to explore a possible agreement between the traders and the proposed company.
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