Sunil Wijesinha, Chairman/Managing Director Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC, says the government should take the lead in improving productivity and set up institutions that help industries improve quality and productivity.

"Government support has to be there," Wijesinha said, pointing out how one such institution failed when government withdrew its funding.

"The National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) was established to help improve quality and productivity standards of local enterprises. But when the government withdrew funding asking it to earn its own money, NIBM started computer classes which was very lucrative.

"But this was not why the NIBM was established in the first place," he said.