Atchchuveli attracts 52 investors
The first industrial estate in post war Sri Lanka, the Atchchuveli
Industrial Estate attracted 52 investors at yesterdays meeting chaired
by Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Ministry Secretary
Sivaghanasorthy at the public Library in Jaffna.
Over half of the investors were in the food and beverage sector with
the others being in the industrial products categories of tyre
manufacturing, aluminium based products, wood carving, soap
manufacturing and cement based products. The secretary stated that with
the establishment of this industrial zone we could increase the GDP
contribution of the Northern province and provide employment to the
youth of Jaffna.
The Head of National Portfolio Development for the United Nations
Office for Project Services(UNOPS) for Sri Lanka, Rohantha Athukorala
presented the master plan of the proposed design and development
project. The project will be the firstGreen Industrial Zone in the
country ,said Athukorala and explained the overall designs of the water,
electricity, sewerage treatment facilities together with the internal
road layout. The project is funded by the Government of India. S.
Srikanth the Vice Consular(DC) stated that as per the agreement the
basic infrastructure facilities will be ready in the highest quality so
that it will facilitate business.
Some of the key concerns of the prospective investors was if the
project could be fast tracked from the current 14 months to around eight
or nine months as many businesses want to start up quicker, said
Poornachandran, Chairman of the Yalpanam Chamber. Another query was the
need for support services like market access, technology transfer and
supply chain development training, apart from the model industrial zone
that is to come up, said Professor Balachandran a academia from Jaffna.
The divisional secretary to the Kopi area voiced the need for the
industrial estate to be totally environmentally friendly if not it can
have long term consequences even if the project has been approved by the
CEA. Atchuweli IE is situated just 3 km from the town and in close
vicinity to the Palali airport and KKS harbour.
The project is estimated to cost over two Rs 200 million in phase 1.
The estate will be ready for occupation by March 2013 said Athukorala on
behalf of United Nations office for project services(UNOPS). The next
key task is the selection of the industrialist who will fall within the
first of development, said Secretary to the Ministry of Traditional
Industry Sivaghansoory.
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