Mega development plan for Trincomalee

Shirajiv Sirimane

MEGA PROJECTS: The Government has decided to go ahead with a mega development plan for Trincomalee and President Mahinda Rajapaksa has also appointed a Special Task Force to co-ordinate the activities.

Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion, Rohitha Bogollagama said that one way to beat terrorism is development and this is why the President is keen on developing key areas in the Northeast.

The Minister said they have identified Trincomalee as an area for major developments where big time world players would be investing.

"I have already negotiated with a Singaporean oil dredging logistic providing company to invest in Sri Lanka.

This company is one of the largest in the world," he said.

He said that in addition the commissioning of Sri Lanka's second coal power plant to produce 100 Mega Watts of power would in the area would also be under way in three months.

"This is a US$1,000 million investment and it's a joint venture between an Indian company and the Ceylon Electricity Board," he said.

He said that the Service Chiefs have already given an assurance that this area is secure for investors.

Kappanthurai a 1,200-acre land behind the Trincomalee oil tanks has been identified for an investment promotion zone. This land would also be linked to the Habarana road with a new highway.

The Government would be keen on inviting investors related to metal processing. Oil and petroleum related investments and other similar long-term sustainable investments.

He said that Singapore, which does not produce oil, is today the second largest oil by product manufacturing hub in the world.

"We too want to convert Trincomalee to a mini Singapore as we have identified that we could service India, China, Vietnam and the Gulf countries from Sri Lanka," he said.

"We have also designed to construct special housing for expatriates at a separate venue and housing for executives and workers in high quality in the line of Singapore housing units," he said. International schools and major hotel chains too would be invited to invest the area. "We will be working with the Sri Lanka Tourist Board in this regard," he said.

The Government is also looking at introducing lifestyle living where famed personalities would purchase land and make Sri Lanka their second home," he said. "This would bring added value to Sri Lanka and also revenue."

The Government would also try to relocate the Air Force camp and re-develop the Trincomalee airstrip so that it could accommodate bigger aircraft. He said that for the past 21 years only Mitsui Cement, Prima and the IOC oil tank farm were the major investments and said that these investments would be doubled soon.