Highlights
Indo-SL ties further strengthened – Says Basil at Indian housing project inauguration ceremony
[Submitted on May 23, 2013]
Economic Development Minster Basil Rajapaksa said on Wednesday (May 22) that only Sinhala Sinhala-Tamil-Muslim unity will bring victory and it is the duty of every one to work in harmony to safeguard this country which has been liberated from terrorism. Religious and ethnic disharmony will only bring defeat and suffering, he warned.
Graduate trainee officers’ third batch passing out parade on May 23
[Submitted on May 21, 2013]
A two-week training course for the third batch our of 15,596 graduates the Economic Development Ministry recruited as Development Officers and assigned to Divisional Secretariats countrywide, commenced on May 08. Selected from 25 districts they are being successfully trained in 16 centres. The passing out parade of the third batch(3,361) will be held on May 23.
Deyata Kirula National Development 2014 begins
[Submitted on May 20, 2013]
Government will launch the next Deyata Kirula National Development programme on February , 2014 in the Puttalam, Kurunegala and Kegalle Districts.
Diyatha Uyana enhanced facilities under 2nd phase
[Submitted on May 19, 2013]
The enhanced facilities constructed under the second phase of the Diyatha Uyana Walking Path and shops in Battaramulla were declared open for the public on 18th May
Tourism to earn US $ 3 billion by 2016 – “Get Sri Lanken’ed” mega event launched in Mumbai
[Submitted on May 17, 2013]
Four years after the 30-year anti-terrorist war tourism has become one of Sri Lanka’s biggest foreign exchange-earners with average annual revenue of US $ 1 billion at present. The number of tourist arrivals last year was 1,005,605 while in January this year 97,411 tourists visited the country. The country is expected to earn an annual income of 3 billion US dollars by 2016. The government has set a target of attracting 2.5 million high spending tourists by that year.
Econ. Ministry launches ‘Matching Grant Scheme’
[Submitted on May 16, 2013]
The Ministry of Economic Development has introduced a Matching Grant Scheme under the Mahinda Chintana Vision for the Future” to support the tourism related SMEs and strengthen the local economy through sustainable tourism development.
Minister Rajapaksa opens Kandy SLITHM Provincial Campus
[Submitted on May 15, 2013]
Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa opened may 15 at 10 a.m. the SLITHM Provincial campus which has been built at Kundasale in Kandy. The institute, equipped with all the modern facilities, is meant to train personnel required for the programme to attract 2.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka by 2016.
Good news for madu pilgrims – rail service restored after 23 years
[Submitted on May 14, 2013]
Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said May 14 that the government was committed to bringing peace and prosperity to all Sri Lankans and stressed that 85 percent of foreign loans to the country was spent on developing the North and resettling people displaced by the war.
Minister Rajapaksa to open ultra-modern hotel school today
[Submitted on May 14, 2013]
Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa will open today (15th) at 10 a.m. the Sri Lanka Tourism and Hotel Management Institute which has been built at Kundasale in Kandy. The institute, equipped with all the modern facilities, is meant to train personnel required for the programme to attract 2.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka by 2016.
Award function for eateries in Colombo
[Submitted on May 13, 2013]
The award ceremony programme for graded food establishments in Colombo was held 08th May at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo.
World bodies laud Sri Lanka’s progress
[Submitted on May 12, 2013]
Chairman and Managing Director of the Sovereign Rating Committee, Standard and poor’s sovereign Rating mission John Chambers says Sri Lanka has made significant progress going by international criteria on poverty alleviation. He is also impressed by the country’s development to date and the facilities provided for investors.
Azerbaijan ready to promote Sri Lanka tourism
[Submitted on May 09, 2013]
Azerbaijan Government is taking steps to strengthen Sri- Lanka-Azerbaijan ties by signing investment agreements between the two countries and by encouraging Azerbaijani tourists to visit Sri Lanka.
SL becomes self-sufficient in gases
[Submitted on May 08, 2013]
Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa inaugurated air separation unit (ASU) installed at Sapugakanda on May 7. The ASU – a state of the art air separation plant - is the Ceylon Oxygen Limited’s new flag ship and its second and largest. Built at cost of Rs.1.3 billion(EUR 9.3 million) this energy-efficient unit is capable of producing 62 tons per day of gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and argon for the merchant gases market.
12,500 youth to get unused plantation lands
[Submitted on May 07, 2013]
Government finalised plans to acquire 25,000 acres of unused estate land and distribute it among youths for productive agricultural purposes under the 2013 budget proposal.
