Singapore business delegation here

by Shirajiv Sirimane

A Business delegation form Singapore is now in Sri Lanka to explore the possibility of investing here. The delegation arrived in response to an invitation made by the Minister of Advanced Technology and Enterprise Development, Rohitha Bogollagama, who was in Singapore last month.

The delegation led by President Singapore Sri Lanka Business Association Allen J. Pathmarajah is keen in investing in the leisure, property, healthcare, and electronics and especially in the prawn-farming sector.

Pathmarajah said that they in the real estate sector and keen on building condominiums and getting themselves involved in integrated development. "We have already met the officials of the Urban Development Authority to peruse our future plans," he said. Outsourcing IT solutions is another are they are concentrating on.

The delegation also met the officials of the Board of Investment and has invited the Chairman to address a business meeting in Singapore next month. "We are happy with the response we have received from the Sri Lanka government, businessmen and other officials and we would be carrying a positive message to Singapore," he said.

Chairman Crescendas Group, Lawrence Leow said his company is keen to invest in the prawn farming industry. Many prawn farms in Sri Lanka have closed down after it had suffered diseases and most of them have been shut down. "We have new technology to increase the prawn yield by over 100 per cent and it can cure all disease," he said.

He said that they would send another technical delegation next month to identify potential local prawn farmers. "We are hoping to acquire some prawn farms outright and sign joint venture projects with other farmers," he said.