Politics

Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe has announced that the government is implementing steps to help rebuild industries that Cyclone Ditwah severely damaged. While speaking at an exhibition at Colombo Port City, he explained that the government lacks a direct way to fully compensate industries for their losses from the cyclone. He went on to say that various types of assistance have already been given to the affected industries, such as loan options and grace periods for paying back loans. Chathuranga Abeysinghe also mentioned that the Ministry of Industries is actively involved in helping to rebuild these industries and is collaborating with around 200 large-scale businesses. He pointed out that since there is no system to completely cover the losses, the Ministry is providing guidance to insurance companies and helping supply essential machinery and equipment for the rebuilding process. He added that over 95% of the industries hit by Cyclone Ditwah have started production again, with most returning to normal operations by January.