Garvin Karunaratne, Phd Michigan State University

I would request our leaders- the President, the Prime Minister and the Governor of the Central Bank  to please consider approving the implementation of a new programme to create employment and also create the production of all items that we imported. It could be on the lines of the Divisional Development Councils Programme(DDCP) of the Sirimavo days, amended as follows. The DDCP only aimed at creating very small  industries and small scale agricultural projects. This was expanded in Matara by me to include medium sized industries, a mecanized boatyard making seagoing fishing boats and by the Divisional Sec at Kotmale, by his Paper Making industry,made by recycling waste paper. I also established the Crayon Factory in Deniyaya and this was done via the Morawaka Cooperative with MP Sumanapala Dahanayake at its head. The DDCP did succeed in creating a large number of small industries and at least 25,000 successful agriculturists. In addition the three industries were a great success. 

Let us in the new programme have a grassroots level small agricultural and small industry unit like in the DDCP in ever Grama Nilardhari area and in addition have at least one  small scale industry in each Div Sec Area. The cost is very low as this will be done by the GA,Div Secs and a host of other officers like Dev Officers etc already is service today. Stipend payments will have to be made to the people who work till the projects become income generating. In the scale of small industries there will be an initial  payment in dollars to import say a smallscale paper making or food processing unit but that outlay will be covered in a years imports that will be avoided.  

If approved I can do a draft programme on this basis to be considered. This is a programme that will get off the ground in a few weeks. It will cost very little. Please consider. This is what the country needs right now.

I am speaking through sheer experience of handling, starting new programmes. My Youth Self Employment Programme in Bangladesh which I started from scratch in April 1982 is today the premier programme  of employment creation the world has known with over three million youths guided to be employed. In the Manifesto for the Mayorship of the Colombo Municipality High Commissioner MilindaMoragoda hailed this Programme. That was in 2011 when this YSEP had created a million youths self employed. Now the number self employed is over three million.  

Pease consider my request.

Garvin Karunaratne, PhdMichigan State University
 garvin_karunaratne @hotmail.com