Sri Lanka, Feb. 2 -- A tense atmosphere prevailed during a conference convened by Minister of Trade and Commerce and Food Security Wasantha Samarasinha to announce the government's decision to handover the management of five Economic Centers In the Country to the National Agri Marketing Service Company.

The business community strongly protested against the move and it resulted in tense arguments between the minister and the traders.

Traders pointed out that they had maintained the services of the Economic Centres for more than 30 years quite efficiently and that they are opposed to the government's decision to appoint a group of individuals of the minster's choice without any formal agreements to manage these already profit making insti...