The Ministry of Economic Development has taken steps to establish 81,000 sustainable Cottage Industrial Economic Units in 2012 under the government's Divi Neguma poverty alleviation programme.

These domestic industries are being established island wide at divisional secretariat level.

The Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises is assigned to develop the domestic and small scale industries under the Divi Neguma programme.

Over 10,000 persons have been provided with the training, technology, equipment and bank loans under this programme.

Recently six people trained at the National Design Centre under the program were provided with equipment worth Rs. 10,000 each.