1,500 Katunayake FTZ workers transported home

• BOI says despite transport only being offered to workers, about 5,000 people had turned up
• 80 buses expanded to 150 to ensure everyone sent home
• Workers dropped off at each Police station and escorted by Police to their homes
• Several individuals with fever given instructions by Public Health Inspectors

An estimated 1,500 workers of the Katunayake Free Trade Zone were transported home yesterday following instructions to the Board of Investment (BOI) from the Industrial Exports and Investment Promotions Ministry to close all FTZs in the country on Friday.

The FTZ staff members were unable to return home due to curfew and 80 buses had been arranged to provide transport to them. In addition to this, food was also provided, and all workers were subjected to a medical examination.

However, over 5,000 people had gathered at the Katunayake FTZ and it was soon apparent that most of them were not employees of the FTZ but were from places of business being set up in the area.

Due to the additional number of people gathered at the Katunayake FTZ, Industrial Export and Investment Promotion Minister Prasanna Ranatunga had given instructions to deploy a total of 150 Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses to provide transport to these individuals.

Additional health services teams were also allocated by the Health and Indigenous Medical Services Ministry to conduct medical tests on all those being transported home.

While a few individuals had previously had fever, they were given instructions and guidelines by Public Health Inspectors. All those gathered at the Katunayake FTZ were taken to the closest Police station to their residence by bus and were provided transport by the Police for the remainder of the journey.