Marked improvement in post-conflict Sri Lanka - Kantha

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

A visible and marked improvement can be seen in Sri Lanka in the few years since the end of the armed conflict, said Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha.

Ashok K Kantha

Participating in the 28th Diploma Awards Ceremony of the National Institute of Business Management at the BMICH, yesterday, the High Commissioner said Sri Lanka is taking advantage of the peace dividend following the armed conflict.

" As President Mahinda Rajapaksa pointed out in his Mahinda Chinthanaya Policy, Sri Lanka will be developed as a maritime hub, aviation hub, commercial hub, knowledge hub and energy hub in the region. This is a very practical and pragmatic strategy to pursue as the domestic market of the country is relatively very low." he said.

He also said Sri Lanka is already a maritime hub as one fourth of India's cargo is handled by Colombo Port. But no one has realized that. It is important to emerge as a manufacturing hub. This will be a great advantage to link with the regional and global market. India and Sri Lanka need to be fully integrated with global market place.

"The world is rapidly globalizing. So, the work environment too is changing rapidly which requires skills upgrading. Today the global technomic architecture is undergoing a tectonic shift. That tectonic shift is Asia. Within Asia, South Asian has the world's fastest growing sub regions in the world. We are no longer under performers as it used to be in the last five years, " the High Commissioner said.

"Within South Asia, Sri Lanka and India are particularly well equipped to benefit from opportunities created by globalization," High Commissioner Kantha said.

"Both countries have major historical trading routes. Sri Lanka is in the East-West maritime route. Sri Lanka's national strength is at the hub economy. Sri Lanka has very impressive human development indicators. Sri Lanka and India have the advantage of a useful population with proficiency in English, IT, etc," Kantha said.

"In India,100 million people have Internet access. The total number of mobile subscribers has increased rapidly to over 929 million as of May 2012. Such types of technologies open new ways for technology adaptation in rural and urban areas in both countries. Sri Lanka and India are expecting new sources of ideas and avenues of business to improve theireconomy," he said. Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma was also present on the occasion.