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| Thursday, 26 June 2003 |
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Chatura Vidyaratne from London Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe participating in an informal discussion with a group of British entrepreneurs at the end of a meeting held in London on June 24 told them that an Investor who is prepared to invest one million dollars (Rs.100 million) in an agricultural project in Sri Lanka will be given tax exemption for five years as an incentive to develop agriculture in the country. Answering a series of questions by the British investors,the Premier told them that in the past, state lands were allocated to farmers subject to various conditions but now the Government is taking steps to make such allocations by giving them free deeds of transfer. When they inquired as to how he would forge ahead with an unreconcilable constitution and with a President more unreconcilable, the Prime Minister stressed that by now he has been able to co-exist with the President for more than an year and that he is confident of taking optimistic decisions under the Constitution as the people are fully enlightened on the exigencies of peace process. With regard to the importance of Sri Lanka as a centre for investment, Premier Wickremesinghe disclosed that the work on the Southern region Express Highway is due to commence soon and that matters relating to the Colombo Airport Express Highway will soon come under further discussion with the construction company concerned. In addition, proposals are there from Malaysia to construct another Expressway, the Premier added. As far as the tourist industry is concerned, the Premier told them that the Government is targeting to increase tourists arrivals from its present half a million to 2 million and for that matter to improve the existing hotel facilities and build new ones on minor and major scale. When they queried whether the British Companies would have the opportunity to take part in development projects under the Tokyo Donor Conference, the Premier replied that the aid is channelled chiefly through the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and that opportunities are open to anybody interested to undertake reconstruction and development work. Ministers Professor G.L.Peiris and Milinda Moragoda were associated with the Prime Minister to answer these questions. |
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