Economic growth to rise by three percent

The end of Sri Lanka's war will help boost economic growth by three percentage points a year as service industries pick up and better security attracts investors, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said.

"When countries are free of terror, the private enterprises will move in where they have an opportunity," Bogollagama said in an interview on the sidelines of a regional security conference in Singapore.

"If there's a financial analyst around, he'll be able to add at least a growth rate of about another three percent from the service sector on an annual basis for the next two years or so," Bogollagama said, citing fishing and tourism as areas with the greatest potential.

Bogollagma said Sri Lanka never stopped the supply of food to Tiger-controlled areas even though much of it was used to feed the LTTE. He also said Sri Lanka would not let international organisations investigate or prosecute its security personnel for alleged human rights abuses. "Sri Lanka is a sovereign country with its own legal framework," he said. "We have a very strong separation of powers (and) the judiciary is independent."

Reuters