Generating self employment avenues would be a prominent feature in the Government's future economic thrust, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said while handing over new shops to over 300 pavement hawkers, who were earlier evicted from the streets of Pettah.

The shops located down Bodhiraja Mawatha in Pettah were handed over to the traders by the Minister.

The Minister told the traders on the occasion that the Government was always prepared to provide financial and other support for self employed businesses if they fall within the legal limits and also if they do not create unnecessary hassles to others. A special program to provide necessary assistance to the self employed is in the pipeline, quoting the Minister, Daily News reported.

The Minister was of the opinion that the cost the Government had to incur in order to generate a successful self employed person was minimal when compared with the cost it had made when creating professional manpower.

He also said that creating new employment opportunities both in the Government and Private sector would not suffice to reduce unemployment totally and that promoting self employment avenues could be an important facet in solving the problem.

He told the former pavement traders that they were provided with better and permanent facilities in their new abode and added that such programs would be implemented in other parts of the country too.

According to sources another 1000 shops are to be handed to relevant traders in the near future.