Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The government is to commence operations at the chemical factory in Paranthan immediately, Plantation Industries and Industries Minister Ramesh Pathirana said.

While paying an inspection visit to the factory area, he said the factory initiated its chemical manufacturing process in 1954 with the use of liquid chlorine, hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride, and ferric chloride as raw materials.

The manufacturing process of the factory was stopped in 1985 due to the civil war. However, the required chemicals for local manufacturing needs are imported through several other companies.

While addressing the media, he said the government’s policy is to increase exports and reduce imports while expediting feasibility studies, planning business development and procurement functions.

As a first step, preliminary actions will be taken to manufacture caustic soda, chlorine hydrochloric acid, and Polyaluminium chloride. The feasibility studies over manufacturing liquid toilet cleaners, liquid hand wash, dishwashing detergent, and liquid carwash, as well as manufacturing urea fertiliser, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, and sodium carbonate (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)