In an address to the United National Party held at the Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardene spoke out regarding the newly introduced ‘Green Villages’ programme. Gunawardene said that the previous UNP government levied a high tax on mobile phones in an effort to collect Rs 600 million, the proceeds of which has been used to fund the World Bank supported ‘One village one product’ programme. Gunawardene also said it is ironic that the UNP would levy such a tax on mobile phones but is now opposed to introducing an environmental levy against recycling mobile phone batteries. The purpose of levying the tax on batteries is also to raise funds.
Both mobile phones and batteries contain toxic materials and elements that can leak out and harm the soil, ground water, and food chain.
Gunawardene referred to 2003 when the ministry was able to do nothing more than launch a rural economy development programme because the UNP government, which was inaugurated in 2002, only lasted only two years.
In regards to rural development, Gunawardene also stated that the world has become involved in a large shift toward an agri-based economy, away from traditional industrial based economies which were the focus of many economies until recent times. “Institutions such as World Bank advised the third world countries to become industrialized some years ago but today countries are advised to concentrate on agriculture to face the impending shortage of food,” he said.
Source: Daily Mirror
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