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The Government has commenced city development projects in Greater Colombo and in several major cities.
The city development projects will see many opportunities for investors and businesses in the near future.
Obstacles faced by private sector investors will be looked into and addressed, Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said.
The National Fiscal Department has come up with acceptable plans and the Ministry facilitated their process to achieve high goals.
The Minister was speaking at the City Development Plans- Investment Opportunities Presentation organized by the Sri Lanka Shippers Council jointly with the Urban Development Ministry at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
He said professionals and chambers should give attention to key issues as private sector involvement is vital in theses projects. Six presentations were held by eminent speakers on the Panchikawatte Triangle Re-development Project, Colombo City and suburbs, Greater Colombo Township Development, Greater Hambantota Development Project, Regional Development Plan - Eastern Province and Northern Province.
Architect and Planner Surath Wickramasinghe speaking on the Panchikawatte Project said 26 acres will be cleared and 2,040 shanties will be relocated in Panchikawatte.
Thirty thousand apartments will come up to settle these people.
Urban Development Authority Director General, Architect Prasanna Silva speaking about Colombo suburbs said the zone plan commencing 2010 will be completed by 2020 with wider roads, a better traffic system and more greenery. He said the Colombo City has to be developed with suburbs and not in isolation.
Some projects such as transport infrastructure , residential and commercial areas have been already identified.
The Greater Colombo Township Development Project Director Nishad Dissanayake said nineteen acres of land has been identified to develop public-private activities within the port and another four acre land near the Central Bank.
The commercial property opposite the Nawaloka Hospital also will be developed. Southern Province Planner Indu Weerasooriya said Hambantota will be the gateway to Asia with all three modes of transport.
Hambantota is rich in biodiversity, ecologically, archaeologically and religiously. There is huge potential to enhance tourism, he said.
National Physical Planning Department Director General J. M. J. Jayasekera said Trincomalee, Ampara and Batticaloa will be developed by the UDA as per the National Master Plan.
The past glory can be restored with the development in Kalkudah, Pasikudah and Arugam Bay beaches, he said.
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Sagaryakmeda
Joined: Mar 2010
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 19 Mar 2010 05:09:33 GMT Report for Abuse
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| People come to invest in this 'Country in the Jungle'?, where no law, no democracy, no humanrights. It is in words only. I believe now as not a single foreign countries and organizations and western unions rejected this 'Thug Government' now they are appling a new 'Song' to get some funds from 'Foreign Investors', only 'Kondebandapu Cheennu' will come to invest 'Srilanka', with this foolish government. |
Sagaryakmeda
Joined: Mar 2010
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19 Mar 2010 05:12:52 GMT Report for Abuse
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People come to invest in this 'Country in the Jungle'?, where no law, no democracy, no humanrights. It is in words only. I believe now as not a single foreign countries and organizations and western unions accepted this 'Thug Government' now they are appling a new 'Song' to get some funds from 'Foreign Investors', only 'Kondebandapu Cheennu' will come to invest 'Srilanka', with this foolish government.
(CORRECTION TO MY PREVIOUS STATEMENT) |
Imperator
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
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 19 Mar 2010 12:06:49 GMT Report for Abuse
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Meeharaka,
where no law, no democracy, no humanrights.
Go to China and see how democratic that country is, but those guys own America's a55. |
noworries
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 399
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 19 Mar 2010 13:00:49 GMT Report for Abuse
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Sagarythuma, you are ignoring the fact that apart from Chinese, Indians, Malaysians, middle-east countries, Germany and many others have recently invested heavily in Sri Lanka. UK's London Stock Exchange bought Millenium IT because of it's clever trading system. Even TNA said the other day that Tamil diaspora are keen to invest in the North and East. Where have you been living in the past year, in an Al Qaeda cave without access to TV or newspapers?
Edited By - noworries - 19 Mar 2010 13:01:10 GMT |
DONP
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 184
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 19 Mar 2010 14:00:31 GMT Report for Abuse
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Sustainable towns for Lanka
Sustainability and Green are Great!
But they have become the buzzwords of business people, whose sole intention is to prey on the desires and fears of the end-users. A large percentage of today's proposals for 'Energy Efficient', 'Sustainable' or 'Green' project proposals are nothing but schems hoodwinking the customers to make a fast buck.
Thirty thousand apartments will come up to settle these people
This is a good idea. However, thirty thousand apartments in 26 Acres means a huge complex of high rise buildings. Building apartments is one thing, managing them for the rest of their operating life is another. However, I do not believe that Colombo Municipality has the infrastructure to enforce standards to properly manage such large properties housing huge communities. Even if it has, the prevalent level of, inefficiency, corruption and politicizing will effectively cripple the operation. Such a huge complex, or even one high-rise apartment building, can become VERY UNSAFE without a methodical operating system where certain standards on Fire Safety, Mechanical systems such as vertical transportaion, structurral integrity, Health & Safety are enforced by Law thus holding the operating agencies strictly responsible. One can hardly expect such efficiency or effectiveness with the CMC.
For example:
Obstacles faced by private sector investors will be looked into and addressed, Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said
Minister Gunwardena was christianed in his relationships with private sector by an illicit liquor dealer in his Maharagama Electorate in the early 1980s. He is all out to develop his lucrative relationships with the private sector. |
noworries
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19 Mar 2010 15:51:36 GMT Report for Abuse
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| DONP, you might be justifiably cynical bout the messenger Gunawardena, but something has got to be done about shanties in Colombo by th epublic sector, not the Private sector. Perhaps, they should invite Singaporeans to develop Colombo, but run it in partnership with the Municipality. |
DONP
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20 Mar 2010 00:04:32 GMT Report for Abuse
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No Worries,
The Apartments should come up. That is already long overdue. And it is a good housing solution for a densly populated place. No contest.
The only problems I forsee are,
Firstly, this huge apartment complex should be methodically and properly operated and managed for the whole of their life. That may be over a hundred years to come. Or else, they can become huge health and safety hazards in no time - real threats to human lives and safety. We know that CMC cannot manage a supermarket complex properly. They do not have the knowledge and/or the willingness to do it, and if you ask them, there is nothing that they do not know. Here, you are absolutely correct.
Perhaps, they should invite Singaporeans to develop Colombo, but run it in partnership with the Municipality
To achieve what is described above, there must be swift law enforcement in place for minimum operating standards on Life Safety, Health, qualification of trades etc., and to ensure that the minimum standards are maintained and the costs of the operating agencies' responsibilities are not passed over to tenants along with a profit margin. I do not have to tell you that it is how municipalities world over ensure that the minimum standards are maintained.
I bet my evey penny that these are not questions for the politicians to worry about right now.
Now, rogues like Dinesh Gunawardena are only interested in that part of the deal which can make them wealthy - Not on the part discussed above. The entreprenuers flocking around him know that only too well.
That is the sad situation.
Edited By - DONP - 20 Mar 2010 00:06:24 GMT |
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