Fisheries Ministry has decided to implement a program to build the daily loss-making Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) as a productive state institution for the people and the country. Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development P. Harrison and State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi emphasized that since it has been revealed that the Fisheries Corporation incurred losses for the longest time in its history, everyone should be committed to dedicate to make the state institution as an efficient service committed to public service and not a burden to the country any longer. Both Ministers pointed out that when inspecting the statistics, the CFC has made only a small profit in the years 2001 – 2002 and 2017 – 2018. These details were revealed at a special discussion held by the Minister Harrison and State Minister Wedaarachchi with the officials at the Head Office of the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation in Modara yesterday (January 29). At the discussion, the Ministers pointed out that state institutions have been established to provide services to the public and if they are incurring losses it is the responsibility of the officials to find the reasons for the losses. When asked how many CFC outlets are incurring losses, the officials said CPC owns 22 local purchasing and sales centers and out of those, only 8 centers are profitable and all others are incurring losses. The officials pointed out that the offices of CFC are overstaffed and there are 244 employees at the head office alone. Such a number of employees cannot be borne by the institution and paying the employees’ salaries and allowances is a huge problem under the current financial crisis, the officials explained. The officials also informed the ministers that the CFC has begun to supply the required fish to several state institutions and they are focusing on supplying necessary fish stocks to state owned institutions under the Provincial Councils. State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi emphasized that it was necessary to control all irregularities that take place within the corporation and start restoring the corporation and he is committed to the endeavor. Minister Wedaarachchi further said that information has been received that a scheme is in operation to wreak political vengeance on employees. The State Minister pointed out that if an employee has committed an offense, the responsibility of the senior officials is to take proper legal action and strongly advised the officials to immediately stop punishing any employee on political grounds.