Sri Lanka must develop national physical plans to attract new investments introducing value added and innovative products through innovation led export processing zones, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.
The minister was addressing the first main consultation workshop for stakeholders on updating national physical planing policy and the national physical plan organised by the National Physical Planing Department of the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry in Colombo yesterday.
The minister said that although Sri Lanka has signed agreements for foreign direct investments worth US $800 million this year, Myanmar has signed agreements for foreign direct investments worth US$ 6,800 million since Sri Lanka does not offer cheap labour, cheap energy, innovative and value added products and healthy competition.
Minister Ranawaka said: “Our national physical plans must be updated to reflect modern technical trends and world economic situation for the forward march of the country.
“We must have plans to resolve problems in various sectors. During the last decade, out national investments was Rs.2,500 billion. Out of which, 43 percent has gone towards construction of highways and road development.”
He said even this year, the budget has allocated 45 percent for road development and highways. But the transport infrastructure problems still remains. Heavy traffic congestion is prevailing in main cities. This might turn into a social and economic problem in the future, he said.
“Although we have invested more in road development, public transport has not seen a reasonable development. In most countries, urbanisation has taken place alongside rivers like London is based on Thames river. But, we have not focused on the Kelani river. We still use the flood mitigation system introduced by the British 100 years ago,” the minister said.
He said the dangerous consequence of this was the destruction of 40,000 houses within 45 minute due to the recent flood following the breach of the Abanganga dam. Nothing has been newly added to the national physical plans to develop the Kelani river, obtaining its water for drinking purposes, flood mitigation and transport purposes, he said.
Minister Ranawaka said: “The Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport cannot be expanded due to the flood situation of the Attanagalu oya. We are unable to construct new runaway because there is no proper control of the Attanagalu oya. We must address the problem through the physical plan.”
“The globalisation concept began in 1990 has come to an end this year. Developed countries will produces and consume their goods. They will impose tariff barriers on products from other countries. We have to consider this situation when we prepare future plans,” he said.