Proposed asbestos ban will have huge economic impact – new report
A new report analysing the value and potential losses if and when asbestos roofing sheets are banned in Sri Lanka places the annual value of Chrysotile asbestos roofing material at Rs. 21.5 billion and the total value at around Rs. 395 billion.
The report presented by Susil Premjayantha, Minister of Science, Technology and Research in Colombo last week places the value of the total capital investment in the asbestos industry in Sri Lanka at Rs. 16 billion and indicates that indirect economic costs (from the ban) are diverse and include both tangible and intangible impacts that are at times difficult to monetize.
The research study commissioned by the Chrysotile Information Centre (CIC) and undertaken by the Research Intelligence Unit, Sri Lanka on the “Present Socio Economic Impact of the Potential Ban of Chrysotile Fibre in Sri Lanka”, was discussed at a conference in Colombo.
The government has announced a ban on asbestos roofing sheets in Sri Lanka by 2020 or by 2024. Asbestos manufacturers are lobbying against this move arguing that while the kind of Chrysotile used in Sri Lanka is not harmful to the health, there is also no factual proof that asbestos causes cancer.
The report indicated that based on the statistical model that was developed the ban of Chrysotile would cause economic losses to the Government at an estimated Rs. 1,653 trillion.
Mr. Premjayantha said that a delegation of asbestos manufacturers met him and informed him of the grave difficulties the country would face and sought a solution as they insist that there is no health hazard according research conducted. He said that he has asked for a report from the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) and was also referring the matter to other science research institutions as well.
The Minister said he has doubts whether the correct perspective about the issues were appraised to the policy makers. If wrong information has been given, then there could be some misconception created in the minds of the policy makers. He has noted that there are different kinds of Chrysotile fibres that are used to manufacture these roofing sheets in which some are harmful, some are not.
He said that the general belief has been that this material would lead to various types of cancers. But, he said that they would be able to find out whether such beliefs are true or not once they receive the reports on the issues from referred-to research institutions.
Sunil Amarawansa, Director, CIC making the opening remarks said that the research was conducted by various authentic independent institutions. CIC, he indicated is an independent non-governmental organisation which works under the auspicious of the International Chrysotile Information Association (ICIA) based in Canada. The major objectives of ICIA are to find factual evidence of the impact on use of Chrysotile fibre.
The research findings they obtain from these research institutions are submitted to the Government, professionals, experts and the industry people and their attempts are to facilitate the decision makers in the country on real facts on impact and consequences that can happen due to the proposed ban of the Chrysotile products in Sri Lanka.
RIU Director Dr. Roshan Madawala said that the report that was launched would add a fundamental enhancement on their knowledge about the safe use of Chrysotile in Sri Lanka. Their study, he said, reveals that the attempt to ban the product would have severe macro-economic consequences and on the individual level be felt most urgently by low income and other rural communities at risk who rely on Chrysotile containing roofing.
Alexander A Karchava, Russian Ambassador in Sri Lanka also spoke. The federation of Russian states is said to have the world’s largest reserves of Chrysotile asbestos.