Plans for another Industrial Zone in the East:EPC

In addition to the Sampur Industrial Zone to be set up in the Eastern Province, there are plans to set up another industrial zone in Trincomalee soon, an Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) official said yesterday.

EPC Agriculture, Animal Production and Development Ministry Secretary K. Pathmanathan said this at a news conference held in Colombo to announce the International Investment Promotion Forum (IIPF) to be held next Friday, January 17 at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo.

EPC Minister Naseer Ahamed – in charge of Agriculture, Animal Production and Development, Rural Industries Development and Fisheries and Tourism – said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa would participate at the IIPF sessions.

“The IIPF, which will be held under the theme, ‘Seizing Employment and Wealth-Creation Opportunities in Eastern Sri Lanka’, will open doors for interna- tional and local investors to set up businesses in the East. More than 300 international and corporate leaders are expected to participate at this event. We are focusing on attracting investments in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, livestock development, dairy farming, tourism, industries and other unexplored areas, which have an export potential so as to turn the Eastern Province into a regional economic hub,” Mr. Ahamed said.

He said the government had, while focus

ing on hu- man resource development, also set up infrastructure facilities such as roads, electricity, tanks and ports.

“We hope to provide employment opportunities to people in the East. Although the Sampur Industrial Zone is still to be launched we have heard of steps being taken to establish another Industrial Zone i n Trincomalee as well,” Mr. Pathmanathan said. Pic by Waruna Wanniarachchi