By Noor Nizam – Peace and Political Activist, Political Communication Researcher and SLFP/SLPP Stalwart, August 29th., 2020.

Your suggestions and proposals are appreciated. Those who sat with you, except for Hon. Basil Rajapaksa and your secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera do not have a far-sighted vision and proactive ideas to achieve what you have suggested/proposed.

HE. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Your suggestions and proposals are appreciated. But they will remain just words for the next 41/2 years if there is no concrete progress and proactive systematic project proposals to implement them at all levels, especially at the ground level in all coastal and fishing areas. Those who sat with you, except for Hon. Basil Rajapaksa and your secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera do not have far-sighted vision and proactive ideas to achieve what you have suggested/proposed and wish them to achieve. I am not telling that they are incapable in carrying out their duties, both political and administratively, but the reality is that “THEY DO NOT HAVE THE BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY (Inland, Coastal and deepsea fishing) to accomplish the task/your vision. The business entrepreneurs are only profit-motivated and will do things that will bring profits to them, but “NOT” your vision that needs patience and time, not profits to achieve the goals thought out.

One of the greatest wealth and gold mine Sri Lanka has is the Cey-Nor Development Foundation Ltd., and the North Sea Fish Net manufacturing complex and the Norwegian FPC AID Project of the Ministry of Fisheries (which was shut dwon abruptly) in the North, NWP, Eastern Province and the Southern Province. This fisheries development humanitarian assistance project which started in the late 1960tees in Karainagar, Jaffna district under the name “MALU-MEEN ENTERPRISES” to assist the fisherfolk of a remote village called “THOPPAKKADU” ended as a Multi-Million dollar program over the years, was made to die a “NATURAL DEATH” by interested groups and fishing business magnates and unscrupulous TAMIL GOVERNMENT SERVANTS AND SINHALESE OFFICIALS, under the pretext of the Civil War in the North and East. Under the J.R.Jayawardene government, Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries – Anura Weeratane crippled the whole project for his personal selfish gains and transferred Cey-Nor assets to his Ceylon Rubber Company in Kalutara. During President Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge’s time, again assets were sold out to private fishing magnates in Negombo. During the tenure of HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa, it was completely mismanaged by powerful politicians and their kith and kin, torn into smaller projects, and some finally closed down. The Cey-Nor Fish Net Factory established in Gurunagar, Jaffna which was part of the Cey-Nor Development Foundation Ltd., was separated and a new business enterprise named “NORTH SEA LTD. was formed in 2010-13. This project was the most income-generating production unit of the Cey-Nor Development Foundation Ltd.

If this “CEY NOR DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LTD” project can be revived to it’s original glamour and brought back to an operational level, it will help you fulfill, your vision to reduce the foreign exchange spent annually on fish imports to save an estimated $ 500 million. Not only that, it will contribute very much towards the development of the inland, coastal and deep-sea fishing industry of our “MAATHRUBOOMIYA” Sri Lanka, but also bring new life to the fisher folks of our coastal belts especially in the North and South and around the island and provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs to the fisherfolks.

A comprehensive proposal to revive Cey-Nor Development Foundation Ltd. was submitted to your Secretariat in December 2019 by the undersigned, but not even an acknowledgment has been received up to now.

Your Excellency President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to revive this great asset to it’s former glory and functional capacity for the benefit of our “MAATHRUBOOMIYA” this project has to be immediately brought under the purview of Hon. Basil Rajapaksa – Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication for it’s a revival for the benefit of our “MAATHRUBOOMIYA”.

The comprehensive proposal for revival will lead to achieving the goals envisaged.