Lanka to accept overseas road construction contracts

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

ROAD DEVELOPMENT: The Ministry of Road Development, would soon accept international contracts, under the Maganeguma Company to build roads, Minister of Road Development and Deputy Minister of Public Administration, T. B. Ekanayake said.

In an interview with the Daily News he said already contractors and Government institutions from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Singapore had contacted the Maganaguma Company requesting them to build roads in these countries.

"The reason for countries like Singapore to contact us is the high labour cost in maintaining their road network while developing countries seek our assistance since we have superior technology," he said.

The Minister said it was President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the then Highways Minister who turn around the Maganaguma company, which was almost non-functioning.

"Due to the initiative of the President the company today is a profit making entity and is now on its way to accept international tenders," he said.

The Minister said that four decades ago Malaysia was a developing country and was finding it very difficult to attract foreign investors.

"The Government then decided to invest on a superior road network including highways and infrastructure development which ultimately turnaround the country as a developed country," he said.

Ekanayake said that this is the same method that is being adopted by the Government and this was the main reason for the Finance Minister to allocate Rs. 4,000 million, the highest ever in the history for road development.

"This is a move that has come in to praise from the business community, investors and the public, he said. In addition to the on-going construction of the Colombo Matara and Colombo Katunayake Expressway the roadwork of the Colombo Kandy highway by the Malaysian constructors will begin next year.

"We are also looking at building toll roads where the drivers must pay and use.

The advantage in this would be that the Government would not have to spend any money for this and after the certain period it would be given back," he said.

He said that the aim is to construct 21,000 km of new rural roads this year and 4,000 tarred roads would be re-laid.

Last year the allocation was Rs. 1,800 million out of which over 90 percent were utilised. The reason for 15 percent to be not used is the bad weather, which slowed down construction.

He said one of the major problems they faced was the land acquisition when building new roads.

The work on the Kirulapone Ratmalana road is now temporarily suspended, as there are three court orders to stop it by the residents of the area. "Similarly there have been legal action for the Marine Drive and the Colombo - Matara Highway and this is going to be a problem for the future as well," he said.

Due to this the Government will soon amend the Land Acquisition Act.