Sri Lanka - emerging marvel of region

Dharmadasa Rangalla - Department of Inland Revenue

President’s determination is to transform Sri Lanka to be the Pearl of the Asia silk route once again, in modern terms, using our strategic geographical location effectively.

First part of this article was published last Tuesday

These are to be attained through rapid economic growth and change in the structure of the economic to a modern, environmentally friendly and well connected rural - urban economy that can create better - remunerated employment opportunities.

Therefore, it targeted to;

* Maintain an average economic growth of over eight percent per annum to increase per capital income by 2016 to above USD 4,000

* Investment to be increased to 33 - 35 percent of GDP with commitment of public investment

* To grow at twice the rate of GDP

* High spending tourism to grow in order to generate fourfold expansion in tourist earnings and remittances inflows, based on skill to in double

* The share of rural employment to decline from about two - third to half

* The share of urban population to increase from quarter to third

Development process

The economic framework of the country, it has recognized that private sector has to play a major role for the development process in order to attain the projected goals and therefore much emphasis has been drawn to encourage private sector to get their contribution of 22 percent of GDP for the 2010 - 2011 period.

Mobilizing foreign direct investment, privatize investment carefully, diversify the pattern of finance, improve the management and sustain ability of investment, vibrant financial service and capital market, macro-economic policy direction are the other policy steps that have been taken to achieve the growth target for the period of 2010 - 2016.

Regional development

The Mahinda Chintana - vision for the future is designed to transform each of the provincial landscape and to ensure that every household in Sri Lanka will equally benefit from economic development. The government regional development plan is implemented under the themes of each province as,

Rajarata Navodaya - for the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts

Kandurata Navodaya - for the Kandy, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Pubudamu Wellassa - for the Badulla and Moneragala districts

Sabaragamuwa Arunalokaya - for the Kegalle and Rathnapura districts

Uturu Vasantaya - for the Kilinochchi, Jafna, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mulaitive

Negenahira Navodaya - for the Trincomalee, Batticalo and Ampara districts

Wayamba Pubuduwa - Kurunegala And Puttalam districts

Ruhuna Udanaya: Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts

Ran Aruna: development for the Gampaha, Kalutara and Colombo Districts in the Western Province

Ran Aruna development program is the biggest project and once the development project is completed, Colombo City will be among one of the most developed cities in the region and as well as in the Asia.

Sri Lanka has placed lot of emphasis on the involvement of the people in designing and implementing the regional development policies. Human resources development is one of the major development initiatives of the each development plan.

Other development initiatives are infrastructure development, economic development and development of rural economy.

Detailed micro planning related to these development initiatives is undertaken with the provincial council, local authorities, District Secretariats, Divisional Secretariats and land agencies at the decentralized levels of activity.

Before sum up, it is worth to note again, Sri Lanka is the country with endless beauty. Tropical beaches of Sri Lanka are the most beautiful beaches in the world and captivated visitors for centuries.

It has become as industry as tourism merely the reason of its marvel. Once the country is developed as planned way, real marvel can again be seen.

Once the vision for the future; the development plan for the country 2010 - 2016 become reality, all the people of country have electricity, telecommunication facility, benefit modern education and knowledge system, health facilities, drinking water etc and also they are benefited of the facility of modern media network, Ports, Airports, Irrigation systems and the natural beauty that the Sri Lanka inherited were preserved, Greenest island of the world will be imaged, as wonder of Asia.

That is all our hope.

Concluded