Prof. Vitharana wants more investment on science

April 11, 2012, 7:28 pm

By Ifham Nizam, The Island.

Sri Lanka should invest more on Science and Technology to take the country forward, said a senior minister.

Veteran politician Dr. Tissa Vitharana said that Sri Lanka was still one of the lowest in the world when it came to investing in Science and Technology.

Addressing an Energy Forum at the Buddhist Cultural Centre recently, he said Sri Lanka invested only .15 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on Science and Technology, whereas most of the other nations invest heavily on it.

The Minister said science and technology should be one of the major areas needed to be focused to get a good share of the competitive global market economy.

He said cutting edge on future technologies helped the United States out compete the rest of the world. "We have to add value to our raw materials," he added.

Vitharana however said that sadly Sri Lanka had not come out of the Colonial attitude, by simply exporting raw materials without any value addition.

Citing examples, he said that still one-third of rubber exported by Sri Lanka was as raw unfinished produce.