Employment for 20,000 targeting four Economic Zones

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

EMPLOYMENT: The government will set up four new Economic Zones next year generating over 20,000 employment opportunities in each said the Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion, Rohitha Bogollagama.

In an interview with the 'Daily News' he said that they have identified nearly 750 acres each in Matara, Hambantota, Chilaw and Mihintale areas for this project.

He said that there is regional disparity in Sri Lanka with over 50 per cent of GDP in the Western Province. "The move to set up Economic zones will iron out this problem too," the Minister said.

Bogollagama said that the present Economic Zones were set up over decade ago and new zones are needed to attract both local and foreign investors.

He said that the Government would provide infrastructure for these zones with electricity, water, roads, telephone, and township facilities and also link them to rail tracks and the government hopes that each zone will bring in investments to a tune of over US $ 500 m.

The construction of coal power plants in Norochchole, Trincomalee, LPG gas plants and the Kotmale project would meet the demand for electricity in the future.

He said that he has given a target to find 60,000 employment opportunities annually to the Board of Investments.

"They are in the process of meeting this target as they have already generated 23,000 jobs in the first quarter," he said.

Similarly the BoI has been given a target to raise one billion US dollars investment this year, which would be a historic mark over-running the US $ 235, raised last year.

He said that he has also attended an investment round table conference in Singapore which was very fruitful. "We focussed mainly on infrastructure development for dredging of oil and was very successful with some investors already visiting Sri Lanka," he said.

In addition Pepsi bottler in India, Ravi Jayapur also met the Minister in Colombo with regard to the building the proposed tallest building in Colombo 3, reaching 47 floors.

"This would be a US $ 12 million investment and construction would start in four months," he said. Airing his views on the budget he said that it would be a production-oriented budget with capital market development. "It would also promote investments," he said.

Asked if the lifting of the ban to take trade union action would have a negative impact he answered in the negative. "This was done as President Mahinda Rajapaksa was a human rights promoter and the Government believes that the trade unions will act in a responsible manner," he said.