Mar 05, Colombo: Minister of Small & Medium Business and Enterprise Development, Industries and Supply Chain Management Wimal Weerawansa said today (5) that the state-owned National Paper Company’s run-down Valaichchenai Paper Mill will be reopened soon.

Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that although it was expected that the development work of the paper factory would cost Rs. 8 billion, it would be implemented with the assistance of other government institutions at a lower cost.

The Minister said the government has to bear a huge cost for importing paper products it needs and the production at the factory is expected to meet the requirement.

The Chairman of the National Paper Corporation Wimal Rupasinghe said that the water and electricity needed for the Valaichchenai Paper Factory has been obtained and repairs are being carried out with the technical knowledge of India.

He said that the Navy's Mechanical Engineering Corps is working on obtaining electricity for the machinery. He added that his aim is to produce paper for school textbooks through this factory to meet the national requirement locally.

The Government Paper Mill at Valaichchenai was opened in 1952 and its production was completely stopped by 1994.

The Cabinet of Ministers last month approved a proposal to revive the national paper mills invalidating an earlier decision to liquidate the state-owned enterprise.