Message from the Honorable State Minister of Investment Promotion
Sri Lanka inherited a free economy, needs to move forward in a highly planned manner based on very effective strategies to overcome the difficult challenges faced at this time. All of you have accepted that promoting foreign direct investment and increasing exports are very essential factors to overcome these challenges in sustainable manner.
I would like to remind you that the present government has entrusted me with the huge responsibility of making Sri Lanka a leading investment and export center in the region as well as globally with exceptional products and services. Accordingly, I respectfully recall that His Excellency the President has assigned me to lead the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, the Port City Project, the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, creation of Techno Parks for the development of the country. We are engaged in a challenging period of continuing investment and development activities in the country while managing the economic situations that we have not encountered earlier and the Covid-19 pandemic. Even under such a situation, I am happy with regard to the opportunity to present the Progress Report of the year 2022, which will be prepared by including the progress of the tasks accomplished by my Ministry in the year 2022.
It is my belief that policy guidance and facilitation should be provided to entrepreneurs in order to win the international market through Sri Lanka’s unique ability to make Sri Lankan exports globally competitive through strategic cooperation. The Sri Lanka Export Board is doing a great job to achieve those targets. Facilitating the attraction of foreign investment to Sri Lanka is the main task of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. Since its inception, BOI was able to attract nearly US$20 billion in Foreign Direct Investment. Over 500,000 workers were offered employments and 18% of the workforce is in the industrial and information communication sectors. It must be said that the Export Processing Zones established across the island are a great strength in earning foreign exchange.
Techno parks are intended to be established keeping in view of the objectives such as to raise the standard of living of the Sri Lankan people, to attract foreign investment as per the national requirement of creating a technological innovation culture through a development in the social and industrial sectors, to create more high-tech employment opportunities for the youth and make contribution to the national economic development by generating foreign exchange. Under modern 5G communication facilities, 05 Techno Parks will be established in the country in the future at the identified locations in Galle, Karunagala, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Habarana. I would like to express my gratitude to the Honorable President, who is constantly guiding to accomplish the tasks assigned to the Ministry and to the Secretary of the Ministry and his staff and to the entire staff including the Heads of the Institutions which are under the purview of the Ministry.
– Dilum Amunugama –
