The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) has held discussions with explosive licensees at the Ministry of Defence premises to address key challenges affecting the explosives sector and explore measures to enhance regulatory and operational efficiency.

The meeting provided a platform for explosive licensees to highlight issues faced by the industry, including concerns related to storage facilities, transportation of explosives, maintaining an uninterrupted supply chain, disposal and management of expired explosives, and quality testing procedures, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. 

The Secretary to the Defence paid attention to the concerns raised by the licensees and instructed relevant officials to take appropriate follow-up measures to address the identified issues, the Ministry noted.

Officials including the Additional Secretary (Civil Security and Development) of the Ministry of Defence, the Chairman of the State Trading Corporation (STC), the Deputy Controller of Explosives, Assistant Controllers of Explosives, and the Director of the CEFAP Unit attended the discussion along with Ministry officials and explosive licensees representing various parts of the country.

The meeting focused on strengthening coordination between regulatory authorities and industry stakeholders while improving the efficiency of processes related to the management and regulation of explosives.