Small and medium scale businessmen ask a national awards scheme to felicitate them

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo

Small and medium scale traders who closely serve the masses ask a national honour for their long  social service and said  even the government must look them into  request to recognise them as national assets.
Speaking to media Joint Secretary of the United Traders and Industrialists Association –Dehiwala Dammika Kodituwakku explained current social recognition on traders and said most of masses called the traders as black marketers or  corrupted businessmen.
“Even government officials and other politicians also follow this version on us, he said.
Addressing their Annual General Meeting held at the Mayor’s House , Dehiwala he said during the election most politicians ask traders support to maintain their election’s budget. However after the elections they never think about traders or industrialists.
A national awards scheme for small and medium scale traders should be introduced by the government to felicitate our members, he said.
However the Dehiwala United Traders and Industrialists Association plans to introduce a similar scheme to felicitate their members and the programme would cover all island.
“We have trade union rights, said President of the Association P.Edirisingha who led recent traders strike and a protest campaign against the government which introduced a tuff traffic law to remove the parking places along the Galle Road.
We are still waiting government’s positive response to remove this traffic barrier, he said.
According to the local Police sources the Government has banned vehicles stopping along the Galle road as a security measure. After a series of discussions the Police allowed to load and unload goods for the traders. But the customers cannot stop their vehicles and the small traders are still hampered due to this regulation, he said.
Explaining his views Deputy Mayor of the Dehiwala –Mount Lavinia Urban Council Danasiri Amaratunga said most traders assisted the local bodies paying their taxes on time.
Local bodies spend tax payers money to provide facilities for all masses, he said .The Dehiwala Traders and Industrialists Association has assisted the government organisations and also helped the tsunami victims to become their normal lives, he said.