Minister unhappy with Tea Board Tender

Sri Lanka’s Plantation minister - Navin Dissanayake says that he intends to put a cabinet paper to review the tender process awarding the digital content of the Tea campaign planned by the ministry.

Speaking at a media ministry press briefing, the minister said that he is not very happy with the tender process where the digital content was awarded to an Indian company.

"There were other companies who had pitched better and who had given better prices... who were not entertained...So I have a question also how the Tender procedure was done for the digital content," he said.

It was also revealed that the traditional media campaign is to be handled by Phoenix Ogilvy.

Upon inquiring about this from the Tea Board, 'Sri Lanka Mirror' learns that Phoenix Ogilvy was tasked with the advertising pertaining to the campaign.

Speaking, S. Anura Siriwardena, DG of the Tea Board said that tenders were called to hand over the PR of the project.

However, handing over the PR to an Indian company is yet to be finalised, he added.

He also refrained from mentioning the company citing it was not finalised.

Tea boutiques

Meanwhile, minister Dissanayake said that the ministry is planning to build 20 – 30 tea boutiques around Sri Lanka to sell export quality ceylon tea to the local market.He added, “We have few plans but not exactly a final one. We are looking at option to get the Tea Board directly involved or to have another company floated with the equity of Tea Board and to have some very good tea outlets.”

The minister was responding to a question as to why the local market is consuming ‘dust tea’ despite being known around the world for the country's fine tea.

However, he emphasised that the planned tea boutiques would not be like the tea shop opened near the Sports ministry, which he said was a ‘colossal loss’.

Line homes no more?

Speaking further, he also said that the line home concept in the estate areas should be done away with completely.

Noting that the government is to initiate a programme to allow estate workers own a 7-perch land plot, the minister said that this would allow estate workers to be small scale tea estate holder.