G.L. Perera, B.Sc (Engineering); M.Sc (UK); MICE (Lond); MIE (SL); PG Dip. Building Construction (Paris) Former Executive Director / Consultant (Rtd) - Engineering & Technical Services - Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. (1939 – 2017)

Many great minds in our country have quietly made sea-changing contributions to our economic and social prosperity - without asking for appreciation, popularity or undue financial gain. The flip side of such virtue is that we are never made aware of the extent of their positive contribution to our lives. Galhenage Lionel Perera, better known as GL to his friends and colleagues who passed away on April 4, 2017 after a brief illness, was indisputably a rare example of this calibre. At a time when Sri Lanka was desperate to emerge from crippling socialist policies that could only be overhauled through free trade, foreign investment and employment - the Greater Colombo Economic Commission (GCEC) was formed with a handful of multidisciplinary experts to make this change a reality. As the Chief Engineer of the GCEC - later renamed the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka - GL led a team of designers, engineers, architects and technicians to plan and build the Katunayake Free Trade Zone in 1978. Expanding across 500 acres and built to international standards at the time, this was the base that attracted global investors to bring in millions of dollars to Sri Lanka and continues to do so now. The success of this resulted in the construction of the Biyagama and Koggala Export Processing Zones (EPZs) in the mid-80s and early 90s. A further nine EPZs were constructed and established under his management of the Engineering, Technical & Environmental Services of the BOI. Once the EPZs were in operation, GL and his team were responsible for the smooth administration of the Zones in collaboration with the resident businesses.