Lankan expats can act as unofficial ambassadors
Lakshmi de Silva
Sri Lankan expatriates working in the West number around 60,000 and
if each one of them act as unofficial ambassadors in helping to develop
tourism they could canvass at least ten people to visit Sri Lanka as
tourists. We would be assured of a boom in tourism, Economic Development
Minister Basil Rajapaksa told Sri Lankan Expatriate Forum Chairman
Senaka Rajapakse at a meeting at the Parliament complex Thursday.
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Minister
Basil Rajapaksa |
Minister Rajapaksa thanked the expatriates for the support given to
the Armed Forces and the government during the crucial period of the
humanitarian operations in numerous ways. “During the time the pro-LTTE
elements were holding demonstrations in Europe and other countries to
bring disrepute on Sri Lanka, your members had taken the initiative with
conviction to protect the image of the Government,” he said.
“We are very grateful to patriotic expatriates who spent their time
and private funds to lobby support for the country,” the Minister said.
Minister Rajapaksa said the Government was expecting the tourism
sector to grow fast but if very large number of tourists arrive here
during the next few months we will not have a sufficient room capacity
to host them.
“At the moment we have only a capacity of 15,000 tourist hotel rooms.
But new hotel projects are coming up including those in the North and
East and the accommodation problem could be resolved in the next two or
three years. The terrorist war was over. Now there is peace. Your
membership could help the country to develop now.”
Expatriate Forum President Senaka Rajapakse said investors were ready
to come to Sri Lanka but projects that were beneficial to both parties
should be introduced to them.
For instance it was not necessary to invite foreigners to invest in
power supply projects as already Sri Lanka is generating sufficient
power with additional plants like Norochcholai, Upper Kotmale and
diversification planned for eco-friendly sources as wind power and solar
power, he said.
The Minister said the government welcomed investments and hoped the
expatriates would continue to assist the country during peace too. |
