Current challenges ten times greater due to COVID-19: Prez

But that he would face the situation with more vigour, the Presidential Media Division said when reporting a meeting he had with the members of the Institution of Engineers of Sri Lanka held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday.

The President said for many years the preparation of feasibility reports of development projects, construction supervision and decision-making have been done by foreign engineers and that the projects carried out by them had failed to meet the needs of the people.

He said the culture of assigning development projects to foreign companies will be stopped and future development programme will be entrusted to the local engineers.

“The government placed faith on the youth in the battle against terrorism. In the same manner, I will place my trust on the local engineers in the expected revolution in the construction sector and the past era of renowned engineers from Sri Lanka should be ushered in again,” the President said.

He said he was deeply saddened by the current status of the State Engineering Corporation and the Government Workshop adding that the responsibility of rebuilding these institutions better than before remains with the engineers.

The President also highlighted the importance of the contribution of local construction companies and engineers in resolving the housing problem of low and middle income earners.