Sri Lanka, Nov. 5 -- The government will implement a pilot project to provide quality, locally manufactured school shoes to replace the vouchers currently given to schools with fewer than 250 students, Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunnetti said.

Speaking at a discussion held today at the Ministry, the Minister said the project will cover 145,723 students across 1,266 schools in the Western and Southern Provinces.

"Under this initiative, local footwear manufacturers have agreed to supply quality shoes with a one-year warranty, charging only Rs. 2,100 per pair. This is expected to save nearly Rs. 140 million, which could be used to provide footwear to an additional 62,481 students in these provinces," the ...