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GMOF says campaign against milk food consumption a farce
The Government Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF) says the campaign against the milk food industry in Sri Lanka is nothing but absolute eyewash as there has never been a planned and sustained campaign against the trade if such efforts were to be considered genuine.
The milk powder industry has been targeted from time to time in an ad hoc manner and the lack of continuity on this score only points to the possibility of a ‘conspiracy’ against the milk food business in the country, the GMOF President, Dr. Rukshan Bellana said in a statement.
“There were two possible theories behind this campaign. The first was that some medical men who aspired to be politicians were merely orchestrating a spectacle to gain popularity in society. The other was that some players in the industry were behind the campaign to gain a competitive advantage”, it asserted.
One may recall the vociferous campaign against the milk food industry at one time, where the ‘target’ was products imported especially from New Zealand. The question that begs an answer was why a particular imported segment was taken to task if milk powder, as a whole, was described as “harmful for consumption”? Therefore, it was obvious that a ‘conspiracy’ was in place with a certain medical trade union handling the anti-marketing campaign, the statement claimed.
“The anti-milk food campaign is bound to resurface in a few months’ time. We, as a medical organization, suspect that the local milk powder industry, in a bid to increase their market share was probably behind the campaign against a milk powder brand imported from a particular country”, Dr. Bellana claimed.
Was it a case of trying to edge out ‘leaders’ so that ‘followers’ could take their place through sustained campaigning with the support of a trade union? How was it claimed that imported milk powder was ‘unsuitable’ for consumption when there was neither scientific research nor laboratory evidence to prove that milk powder was unhealthy or harmful to the human body?, he asked.
There are, apart from food scientists, academics and research fellows, recognized research institutions in the country but none of them has produced any evidence on so-called ‘harmful effects’ of imported milk powder on the health of the people. In addition, there are also internationally recognized laboratories but there has been no evidence so far to substantiate such a hypothesis, the statement further said.
It is also of interest that not a single professional medical association has commented on the subject. The Health Promotion Bureau of course promotes breast milk for children but that doesn’t mean it has adopted an anti-milk powder stand. It is now clear that the campaign was launched to mislead the public and discourage them from consuming milk food especially products imported from New Zealand, it said.
“As a medical trade union, we believe that funding such misinformation campaigns and thereby misleading the public is against the law. However, there was no action forthcoming on this score”, it outlined.
The GMOF statement added: “We also see a move to popularize drinking so-called ‘Kola Kenda’ through a trade similar to the milk powder industry, where processed ‘Kola Kenda’ packets are being produced under diverse native names. The move appears to be a bid to replace the milk-drinking habit of the population with ‘Kola Kenda’.
“It was like in the early 1970’s before the advent of the milk powder industry when there was a vibrant campaign to popularize drinking fresh milk. This later changed into packeted milk powder. ‘Kola Kenda’ has already come in packeted form. It is not the fresh, home-made healthy ‘Kola Kenda’ we have been used to for generations.
The most risky aspect of this proposition is giving school children packeted ‘Kola Kenda’ with preservatives and other chemicals added to the contents”, the trade union warned.
In terms of international guidelines we can be assured that the manufacturing process of milk food in New Zealand at least adhere to hygiene and highest quality standards, but the quality and safety of the locally manufactured packeted ‘Kola Kenda’ products are questionable, it said.
At this rate, ‘Kola Kenda’ products in packeted form will soon be a multi-million rupee business, the statement added.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), on Thursday, signalled strong solidarity with Sri Lanka in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, confirming that it is actively exploring options to provide further support for recovery and resilience beyond the existing Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
Julie Kozack, Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, opened her remarks with heartfelt condolences:
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the people of Sri Lanka for the effects of the devastating cyclone. Our hearts mourn the loss of life that has taken place,” she said, extending condolences to other Asian nations also grappling with severe flooding, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
On Sri Lanka, Kozack emphasised that the IMF is closely engaging with authorities, development partners, and counterparts to assess the humanitarian, social, and economic toll of the disaster.
“Large parts of Sri Lanka have been affected by floods, and we expect economic activity to be adversely impacted, in addition to the significant human toll,” she noted.
The IMF is awaiting the completion of a rapid post-disaster damage assessment, led by Sri Lankan authorities, in collaboration with international partners, to better gauge the economic impact.
“We are continuing to support Sri Lanka’s recovery, reform, and resilience under the EFF arrangement. Our staff is looking into options to further support Sri Lanka in the recovery process,” Kozack confirmed.
She reiterated that the Board meeting, scheduled for 15 December, remains on track, following the staff-level agreement on the fifth review reached in October—prior to the cyclone.
“We will provide additional details as the assessment of economic needs and damages moves forward, and as we have more information to inform our thinking around the options,” she added.
Naina Thambi Marikkar Mohamed Thahir was sworn in as a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) National List Member of Parliament before Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne yesterday (05).
His appointment follows the resignation of SJB Parliamentarian Muhammathu Ismail Muththu Mohamed, who stepped down from his position on 28 November.
The SJB subsequently nominated Thahir to fill the resulting vacancy.
Accordingly, the Election Commission issued a Gazette Extraordinary declaring Naina Thambi Marikkar Mohamed Thahir a Member of Parliament, in terms of Section 64(5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981, as amended by Section 6 of the Elections (Special Provisions) Act, No. 35 of 1988.
With the issuance of the gazette, and the subsequent swearing-in, Thahir has officially assumed duties as a National List MP, representing the SJB.
A joint programme by the Ministry of Finance and commercial banks to provide loan facilities for new entrepreneurs will be launched in January next year, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Sunil Handunneththi, told Parliament’s Ministerial Consultative Committee on 25 November.
Handunneththi said Rs 80 billion allocated in Budget 2026 for entrepreneurship loans will be channelled through the new scheme to ensure funds are distributed efficiently. A separate programme is scheduled for January to brief MPs on eligible sectors and the overall loan distribution process.
The Minister also announced the launch of a National Database for Industrialists, designed to consolidate information on all industrialists, under one system. Ministry officials told the Committee that promotional campaigns would be rolled out to encourage entrepreneurs to register, enabling easier access to government services.
Committee members also discussed the possibility of extending collateral-free loans to craftsmen registered with the National Crafts Council.
Officials from the National Paper Company Limited reported significant improvements in operations, saying monthly production at the mill had increased from 150–180 metric tons to 400 metric tons after rectifying earlier deficiencies.
Handunneththi further briefed the Committee on a new National Advisory Framework for issuing excavation permits, aimed at replacing the current ad hoc system with a more structured process. The framework is also expected to come into effect in January.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hemali Weerasekara, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MPs, and officials from the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.
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