Won’t permit foreign cigarette import

• 6,000 Chinese and 10,000 Indian workers in SL

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday he would not allow the import of foreign cigarettes as long as he remained the Health Minister. Earlier, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said cigarettes should be imported from China as Chinese workers in Sri Lanka were highly dependent on them. 

  Addressing an event held in Colombo, Minister Senaratne said there were only 6,000 registered Chinese workers in Sri  Lanka as against some 10,000 Indian workers in our country. 
“If we allow the import of Chinese cigarettes for 6,000 workers, then India will ask to send Indian cigarettes to its 10,000 workers here. Russia might do the same. As long as I remain the Health Minister, I won’t allow the importation of foreign cigarettes,” he said.