The BoI has approved the project:

Negotiations for developing IT park

Tamara Nissanka

Ernst and Young International a multinational audit and consultancy firm from India is currently in the island for negotiations with the Board of Investments officials to develop an IT park within the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe campus premises.

Managing Director/ CEO of SLIIT, Prof. Lalith Gamage told Daily News Business The BoI has approved the project. Discussions are currently underway between the two parties for development plans of the proposed IT Park to take effect. Representatives from Ernst and Young are presently in Sri Lanka, to partner up with a Sri Lankan counterpart to design, build and expand the area.

"SLIIT students will have employment opportunities in BPO companies that would come up within the Techno Park. "The said IT Park would help Sri Lanka to adopt a similar concept in the country's economy. We can make a significant change in the Sri Lankan IT industry through education" he said.

SLIIT is committed in all operations of the project, which are to be initiated within a period of three-four months. The Indian BPO industry is worth of US $ 30 billion. The revenue is generated from a workforce of 2 billion. Therefore, it is apparent that the revenue from the Indian BPO industry alone exceeds the Sri Lankan GDP, which is US $ 20 billion, he said.