Wimal Weerawansa, Minister of Industry has taken steps to appoint a committee consisting of officials from the Ministry of Industries and the Ceylon Industrial Development Board who can provide guidance and technical assistance to local pharmaceutical manufacturers to solve their problems and help them conquer the local and foreign markets. Sisira Jayakody, Minister of State for Indigenous Medicine Promotion, Rural Ayurvedic Hospital Development and Community Health made this decision at a discussion held at the Ministry of Industry yesterday (19). The Minister of State said that with the current situation in the country, the people have become interested in the Indigenous system of medicine and that this discussion is being held with the aim of resolving the existing problems, even though it has paved the way for the promotion of the Indigenous system of medicine. The Minister of State further stated that the main problem faced by the local pharmaceutical manufacturers at present is the supply of raw materials and the importation of raw materials. The Minister of State requested the Minister of Industry, Wimal Weerawansa to provide the necessary equipment and technical assistance to process the locally sourced raw material to the required standard, while the Chairman of the Ceylon Industrial Development Board, Upasena Dissanayake, who was present, requested the Industrial Development Board to extend its fullest support in this regard.