By Rekaha Tharanagani Fonseka Sri Lanka’s carpenters say the recent electricity tariff hike is like a nail in the coffin of the country’s furniture industry, and call on the government to provide them with some relief. Carpenters in Sri Lanka’s furniture capital, Moratuwa, say their craft is no more hand-tool-driven. They use electric tools to make [...]

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Carpenters see electricity tariff hike as nail in furniture industry’s coffin

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By Rekaha Tharanagani Fonseka

Sri Lanka’s carpenters say the recent electricity tariff hike is like a nail in the coffin of the country’s furniture industry, and call on the government to provide them with some relief.

Carpenters in Sri Lanka’s furniture capital, Moratuwa, say their craft is no more hand-tool-driven. They use electric tools to make chairs, tables, beds, cupboards, and a host of other wooden furniture items.

The electricity tariff hikes have pushed the production cost up and led to a drop in demand. “We use electric tools for tasks such as planning, carving, sawing, painting, and polishing. We run up a huge electricity bill. The recent hike in electricity tariffs has put the industry in a major crisis,” a Moratuwa carpenter said.

Lakmal Fernando said that although he inherited the carpentry trade from his father, he is unable to continue the business due to the high electricity cost.

He said if they raised the furniture prices beyond a certain point it would only keep the customers away. “It is difficult to attract customers even if we sell our products at the previous year’s prices.”

Another furniture shop owner Asha Perera said it was with great difficulty that they were maintaining their carpentry workshop. She said she had employed 15 workers and had to pay their salaries amid the rising cost of production and electricity charges.

Ms. Perea said she used to keep the workshop open seven days a week, but she now kept it open only five days a week as she was unable to pay the daily wages of her workers.

“Cushion fabrics and wood polish prices too have increased. And now we have to pay a huge electricity bill. I calculated my bill this month will come to Rs. 25,000 or more,” she said.

Ms. Perera asked the government authorities to provide them with relief and save the industry.

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