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| Saturday, 18 September 2004 |
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by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi A National Policy on the Construction Industry will be presented to the Cabinet before the end of this year, Minister of Housing, Construction Industry, Eastern Province Education and Irrigation Development Ferial Ashraff said yesterday. "The draft of this policy has now been handed over to the Minister's think tank for further improvement and amendments," said the Minister adding that the need for a national policy on the construction industry has a requirement for sometime. She made these remarks addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Construct 2004, Sri Lanka's largest building and construction related exhibition being held until September 19 at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial International Exhibition Centre. The exhibition organised for the fourth successive year by the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) highlights the achievements of Sri Lanka's construction industry. The Minister said both the Government and the Ministry are aware of the numerous problems faced by construction contractors of Sri Lanka. "The Ministry is in fact in dialogue with the representatives of the Treasury and the newly formed National Procurement Agency to address issues such as the influx of foreign contractors, financing difficulties and lack of heavy machinery and equipment for local contractors, shortage of construction materials like river, sand and timber." She noted that the President recognising the importance of this sector towards the development process has assigned for the first time a Ministry for Construction Industry together with housing. "This industry contributes around eight per cent of our GDP and that should have been reason enough to give this sector more importance." She stressed that the Construction Industry Authority Act has also been another requirement of the industry to establish an Authority to regulate and standardise the activities and procedures. "The Government is taking into consideration your suggestions to start a Construction Bank, so that your members could obtain financial assistance. This idea needs further study and consideration by the Treasury and the Central Bank," she added. Urban Development and Water Supply Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said it was up to those involved in this industry to select what is best suited to the country, considering its prevailing economic, social, cultural and the environmental conditions when construction activities are undertaken. "It should be so, because any construction activity should be one that will contribute to develop, improve enhance and sustain what exists and not destroy, disrupt or create a negative impact." The Minister stressed that a consorted effort has to be made to plan the urban and semi-urban areas to support inhabitants. "In this regard, my Ministry is contemplating several measures to be implemented in the near future for the benefit of the rural as well as urban inhabitants." Director NCASL Saliya Kaluarachchi and Managing Director Lafarge Mahaweli Cement(Pvt) Ltd Rex Hatherely also spoke. |
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