Lanka, a fully developed country by 2050 – PM
Plans have already been formulated and the necessary foundation laid to transform Sri Lanka into a fully developed country by 2050, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.
“Undoubtedly this is a challenging task which ought to be carried forward with patience and prudence by working with a group of people with divergent views,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister expressed these sentiments participating in a Question and Answer session of the Sri Lanka-Singapore Business Conference organised by the Trade and Industry Ministry of Singapore in association with the Singapore Business Forum on July 10. The large number of Sri Lankan and Singaporean Businessmen and Entrepreneurs attended the conference held at the Jan Tanglin Hotel in Singapore.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that since Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean has been clearly understood the longtime target is to develop the country into an Economic, Financial and Social Centre. “Sri Lanka is taking dedicated efforts to create a society based on the export economy by inheriting new technology. Pointing out that friendship and co-operation with all countries in the world is the avowed policy of Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister added that it would strive to further strengthen friendship and co-operation with Asian counties such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and China.
Explaining the Economic, Industrial and Tourist Zones to be set up locally in future, he pointed out the investment opportunities available to target 9 million people living around the Expressway network linking Colombo-Kandy and Hambantota.
Singapore’s Trade and Industries Minister S. Iswaran also spoke on this occasion.
Here are some of the questions asked the answers given by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the occasion.
QUESTION: What are the plans available in Sri Lanka for entrepreneurship development?
ANSWER: At the outset an entrepreneurship culture should be promoted in the country. Traditionally we have been a trading nation and that tradition is still existent in the country. There is a large group of youth entrepreneurs in the country but their main problem is finding financial basis. The country’s banking institutions are still operating with caution and traditional basis. However much the government assisted small and medium scale ventures the assistance received from Banks is inadequate. As such the government has introduced relief measures to support entrepreneurs who have launched business ventures.
Loan facilities for medium scale business ventures should be expedited. Banks in Sri Lanka should become project based institutions. The export culture should be introduced to small and medium scale business ventures.
QUESTION: What is the impact of the Colombo Port City Project on the Economy of Sri Lanka?
ANSWER: The Colombo Port City Project was started for property trade development. But under our government it has been planned to transform it into a financial city. Land filling in it will be completed by next year and thereafter building construction would begin. Already several financial cities have been set up in the Indian Ocean area. As such we should think of new services to be set up there. This is a project with a 10 year plan.
The Prime Minister said during his visit to England a few weeks ago, he discussed possibilities of implementing the English laws in the financial city. Authorities in England agreed to discuss about the implementation of English laws and lend all possible support in this direction. Already plans are underway to introduce several new legislations relating to the financial city in Sri Lanka.
The first step is to institute a Financial Commission. After discussing the matter and attendant problems and issues with the Attorney General a Cabinet paper would be submitted for setting up the financial commission of the Port Financial City within the next two months.
QUESTION: How will the data collection and analysis process take place correspondent to the future vision?
ANSWER: Data collection work is already in progress. An analysis in made on the impact made on the country’s economy.
Data collection and analysis will be undertaken in cooperation with other countries in the future. This will be the final step towards making Sri Lanka the economic hub of the Indian ocean the Prime Minister said. Development strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickreme who delivered the inaugural lecture at the session said the Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA will provide a positive message about Sri Lanka’s development goals to the whole world. The government is committed to make Sri Lanka an economic hub in the Indian Ocean. The necessary internal reforms are now underway to make this possible laying emphasis on the Asian supply network and the environment would be created to link with it through export industries. For this Free Trade Agreements would be signed with several other countries.
Deputy Minister Anoma Gamage, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Singapore, Nimal Weeraratne and Colombo’s Mayor Rosy Senanayake were also present on the occasion.
(Source: Daily News)
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Sri Lanka into a fully developed country by 2050, Does this guy know what he is talking about? Hope his Volkswagen factory and economic hub in full stream. Has not achieved anything since independence apart from corruption, bribery and fraud. But lets hope so. Pigs will fly they say.
Why wait till 2050 why not in 2020 you have only to drop the president for the following reasons
. it can be stated from the data from internet it can be computed that even if we have 10 coal power stations the size of Norochoholai producing a total of 70 billion units per year, our per capita carbon emission per year will not exceed 70×109/21×106= 3040 Kg=3.04 metric tons assuming a population of 21 million and 1000Kg= a metric ton, as such there is no threat of carbon emission to our country by planning for accelerated coal power projects as many as required for our country. The President’s statement contravenes article 3,4,12, 27 anf 33 (f) of our constitution and as such direct foreign investors are avoiding us like a plague and also his reliance on solar power can be established has the biggest fraud committed in our country’s history which also has destabilized our country’s economy. This can be established from the following
Reservoir Storage
947.9 GWh
Energy Percentage %
CEB Thermal (Coal) 11.6 GWh 29.51
CEB Thermal (Oil) 8.01 GWh 20.39
IPP Thermal (Oil) 2.27 GWh 5.77
Laxapana Complex Hydro 4.61 GWh 11.73
Mahaweli Complex Hydro 7.76 GWh 19.75
Samanala Wewa 2.13 GWh 5.42
Kukule Ganga 0.56 GWh 1.43
CEB (Small Hydro) 0.08 GWh 0.19
Wind 1.96 GWh 4.98
There is no solar power in our country ‘s power sources but we are paying at the rate of Rs. 22 per kWh for a estimated 100 Mw of solar panel it may come to nearly a Billion US dollars loss to our country and every days delay is causing a loss to we the people and our country but not to the politicians and their henchmen who enjoy free electricity and free water and a car permit valued at a billion Rs. every 4 years
He became a parrot after 1994.
Bond scam, bankrupted government, no genuine developments as a government.
Will be in 90’s when its 2050.
The great thing about 2050 is both you and your useless lot will no longer be around utter empty words!!!!
(How is that VW factory in SL taking shape?)
In 2050, he will just be a picture on the wall collecting dust.
Well on the way to be a developed nation!
Below quotes from elsewhere.
‘U.S. companies surveyed for a report on ‘FDI Landscape and Investor Sentiment in Sri Lanka’, have painted a sombre picture of business conditions within the country with policy instability being the primary issue cited, followed by a shortage of labour, among other concerns.
AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce) and STAX officials present a copy of a collaborative study conducted on ‘FDI Landscape and Investor Sentiment in Sri Lanka’, to Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama, in Colombo yesterday. At right is BOI Director General Duminda Ariyasinghe. – Pic: Saman Abeysiriwardena
by Sanath Nanayakkare
From a U.S. perspective, conditions for attracting FDI into Sri Lanka are not optimal and the current quantity of U.S. FDI flowing into Sri Lanka is not significant. As a result, the country’s regulators value the impact made by U.S. investors in Sri Lanka less than that of Asian players such as China, the report stated.”
Another primary barrier that needs to be broken down is the difference in Sri Lanka’s standards for transparency and corporate governance in order to attract U.S. investors to invest in Sri Lanka, it said.
Agree with you Indra,
All Sinhala Buddhist lead Governments since 1948 have been and continue to be corrupt to the core.
This demonstrates that Sinhala Buddhist governance as totally incapable of leading the nation to prosperity.
What do the Sinhala Buddhist voters intend to do about this?
Is Gothler the Hitler the solution?
Yes, Mr. Thelu Somasundram, you are spot on. Sinhala Buddhist failed. May be we can ask Pirubaharan to to come out of the grave and lead us. Of why not make Ms. Vijekala as president? At least Tamil girls will be safe.
Amarakoon,
Not only SiNhala leaders, but Tamil and Muslim leaders are total failures too.
The tamils have been aiming at 50:50, Federal State, Separate state, devolution, new constitution and many more things. Nothing gained.
The Muslims (the most prosperous of our society) live in eternal fear of marauding Gnanasira thugs, shitting in their pants.
Amarakoon, we have no capable leaders from any section of society.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS TO SIGN A 99 YEAR LEASE OF OUR GOVERNMENT WITH THE CHINESE, JUST AS WE DID FOR THE HAMBANTOTA HARBOUR.