Shangri-la...
He noted that once the filter inside ‘Lifesaver’ reaches the end of its lifespan, which is 15,000 litres of filtered water, equivalent to the drinking needs of a family of 4 for 3-4 years, it shuts itself down, signalling a need for a replacement.
“The cost you incur today will be the only cost for the next 3-4 years. There will be no maintenance costs or other costs involved like other water systems,” he said.
Elson said that although the British military was the initial customer for the 10-year old company, it has now branched out into humanitarian operations in many countries, including Malaysia, Sudan, Haiti, Iraq, Colombia, Brazil, and Africa.
Karunanayake said that the Sri Lankan government became aware of the project when some of his associates presented the Lifesaver as a solution for Karunanayake’s ambition to provide clean water in North Colombo.
“When they presented the idea, I didn’t believe them. I thought it was just another commercial enterprise. But then they began bringing some units down here and testing them. Then I realised that this should not be just for North Colombo or Colombo, but for the entire island since the Prime Minister and the President are keen to eradicate CKDU,” he said.
Secretary General of UNWTO, Dr. Taleb Rifai and Members of the German Parliament, Michael Donth and Jurgen Klimke were amongst the host of VIPS present at the opening ceremony.
Sri Lanka Tourism is utilising all resources in order to leverage ITB Germany which is one of the biggest travel fairs in the world to capture the German market which is now looking for new options in the wake of various issues plaguing some of its popular outbound destinations.
In his opening remarks, Tourism Minister John Amaratunga commented on the attractiveness of the Sri Lanka pavilion which featured an open design concept complemented with eye catching image of Sri Lanka.
He spoke of the diverse attractions the country has to offer and the climate of security that tourists could expect in Sri Lanka as opposed to some of the other destinations.
German Member of Parliament Klimke appreciated the peaceful collaboration of all cultures and religions in Sri Lanka which had created a melting pot of cultural diversity.
He singled out the positive vibes in the tourism sector with regard to Sri Lanka’s focus on sustainability and preservation of nature whilst developing the tourism sector. He predicted a bright future for tourism in Sri Lanka.
“ITB is the most resourceful and wealthiest travel mart in Europe, estimated to be worth 100m German speaking people in and around Germany. Our tourism industry should work together to capitalize on this market and help it grow from a US $ 3.5 billion industry to a US $ 10 billion industry,” said Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany, Karunathilaka Amunugama.
Also speaking at the inauguration Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Paddy Withana focused on the strategic importance of ITB to deepen and widen European interest in Destination Sri Lanka.
Following the inauguration, the Sri Lankan delegation led by Minister Amaratunga was
According to company statements made in 2015, the entire US$ 800 million project was slated to start operations in the first quarter of 2018. But according to de Alwis, the 396unit apartment complex will now be fully operational in the third quarter of 2018, while the 540-unit hotel will stick to the original timeline.
The US$ 850 million Cinnamon Life mixed development project coming up next to Shangri-la has also proceeded far into construction now although it too has run into significant delays, though due to a different reason, labour shortages.
Shangri-la brought down a construction crew from China.
Nearly a dozen mixed development projects are now planned in Colombo with the Board of Investment announcing three latest projects last week.
Meanwhile, de Alwis was not able to provide a tangible answer for how Shangrila would handle potential long periods of blackouts if the power crisis that both the government and the private sector has warned about would become a reality within the next two years.
Around 57 percent of the residential units at Shangri-la have already been sold, and the company had to change some of its plans
Opposition legislators had also alleged corruption on the proposed deal, which has been denied by the government. A ministerial committee including Ranatunga was appointed to re-negotiate with the Chinese firm before inking the final deal.