Develop East to accelerate growth in the country - Prof. G.L.
Peiris
HIRAN H. Senewiratne
Vistas of opportunities are available in the Eastern Province as
there is a large stretch of land for agriculture following the
liberation of the area from the LTTE, said Minister of Export
Development and International Trade Prof. G.L. Peiris.
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Outgoing President D. Eassuwaren presents a memento to
President elect Chandralal de Alwis at the NCCSL Annual
General Meeting. |
“With the global recession, the impact on Sri Lanka is relatively
less. Therefore, it is high time for us to take full advantage to
develop the East. This will help to accelerate growth in the country,”
Prof. Peiris told the Annual General Meeting of the National Chamber of
Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) recently.
He said exports have shown a remarkable growth. But growth alone is
not satisfactory. What is more important is to ensure that the benefits
of such growth go down to the grassroots level especially in areas such
as the Eastern Province.
Prof. Peiris said the government is having a sharp focus on the SME
sector and needs to follow other countries’ systems how they have
developed SMEs. Therefore, regional development should be based on the
people’s requirements in the area; by adapting those systems and
transforming it to meet local conditions.
Reducing the division between the urban and rural sectors was
highlighted by the youth, which is the main focus of the government’s
plan.
Hence the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in backward regions
such as those in the Eastern Province could help to promote export
promotion villages to generate employment opportunities in the country,
he said.
Prof. Peiris said that Sri Lanka has graduated from a Least
Development Country status to a Middle-Income country status. Our per
capita income is approximately US$ 1,370 and we are no longer classified
as a least developed country. |
