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By Chamitha Kuruppu

While world oil prices are most likely to increase in the near future, the Sri Lankan business community has called upon the government to go ahead with the proposed coal power projects and warned that high cost of power will cripple the industry.

They said that an immediate solution should be taken to overcome the Middle East crisis and high cost of power.

President of the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries, Ranjith Hettiarachchi said that the coal power is the need of the hour and the government should take a decision immediately. "Democracy is ruled by the majority, there will not be a 100% agreeable decision," he said.

For industries to be competitive and produce quality output new machinery and equipment is necessary, Hettiarchchi said. "How could such high tech machines be maintained with the cost of power sky rocketing daily," he said.

Coal power projects should be commenced immediately because it will take at least another four years to have results, he said.

President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries of Sri Lanka Nihal Abeysekera told the Daily News that he has asked the authorities to implement four coal power plants of 300Mw each instead of going ahead with the proposed 900Mw project. He said that coal power plants could be constructed in Norachcholai, Hambantota , Trincomalee and Jaffna. Abeysekera said the government should educate people about clean coal power technology. What the government should do at this critical moment is to build confidence in people and find ways to go ahead with the project such as maintaining international standards, he said.

"The government should commence the Norochcholai project and start feasibility studies on Hambantota, Trincomalee and Jaffna," he said. Hettiarchchi said the Middle East crisis would reduce foreign exchange earned by migrant workers.

The government should take measures to encourage other industries, Hettiarachchi said.

President of the National Chamber of Commerce Asoka De Z Gunasekera said commencing work on the proposed coal power project is 'urgently needed' in view of the Middle East crisis.

Gunasekera said since the results of commencing coal power generation in Sri Lanka would take another three to four years, the projects should be launched immediately.

President of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Thilak de Zoysa said coal power generation has been already delayed and added that the government should take a decision to continue the project.

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