CCI to set up Infrastructure Fund
Ramani Kangaraarachchi
The Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) will set up an
Infrastructure Fund as an alternative mechanism to raise finance outside
the consolidated fund to undertake urgent infrastructure projects in the
country, President CCI, Surath Wickramasinghe said at the launch of the
first issue of Construction Digest and EXCON 2009 at the Galadari Hotel
on Friday.
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President CCI Surath Wickramasinghe, Minister of Construction
and Engineering Services Dr Rajitha Senaratne, Minister Prof.
G.L Peiris Minister of Export Development and International
Trade and CEO / Secretary General CCI Dakshitha Thalgodapiya at
the event. |
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Sri Lanka’s
first ever international exposition
‘Excon 2009’
With the Chamber of Construction
Industry being identified as the focal point for promotion of
exports of construction related professional services ‘Excon
2009’ is repositioned as Sri Lanka’s first ever International
Construction Exposition.
‘Excon 2009’ is designed to showcase the capabilities of the
domestic construction industry to the large number of foreign
visitors expected to attend the event.
The Chamber has received the fullest support of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to promote overseas participants using Sri
Lankan diplomatic missions abroad.
The Chamber has recently set up a Foreign Relations Division
headed by a retired senior career diplomat to promote networking
with the diplomatic community in Colombo as well as Sri Lankan
missions.
‘Excon 2009’ will also be the platform to promote foreign direct
investment in infrastructure development, an exercise the
Chamber will undertake in collaboration with its corporate
member Board of Investment. |
He said that a delegation of the CCI met the Country Director of the
World Bank and the ADB and their response was very positive to set up an
infrastructure Fund following the Indian model. He hoped that the
government will expedite the setting up of this fund.
The Chamber is also working with Minister of Construction Industry Dr
Rajitha Senaratne to obtain a US$ 100 million from Qatar for this
purpose. A request has been forwarded by the Ministry of Construction
and Engineering Services to the relevant ministries in both Sri Lanka
and Qatar, he said.
The major downturn in the industry activities during the last six
months hit all the related parties from Consultant to workforce and that
was one of the reasons to look at alternative mechanisms, Wickramasinghe
said.
Referring to the defeat of the LTTE terrorists and destroying their
leadership he said that already the signals received are positive which
is a huge breakthrough and Sri Lanka could speedily move towards more
prosperity now. He hoped that the construction industry will have a
significant role to play specially in the rehabilitation and
reconstruction work in the North and the East.
The Chamber has addressed a letter signed by all allied associations
volunteering their services to the Government, in this hour of need. He
hoped that the Government will make use of this offer to expedite
specially the resettlement of the IDPs.
Minister of Construction and Engineering Services Dr Rajitha
Senaratne was the Chief Guest at this event.
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