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| Sunday, 3 November 2002 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Budget proposals - 2003 : CCC calls for level playing field The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has presented its budget proposals to the Government. Among the salient features are publishing all key legislative and policy reform initiatives of the Government as white papers; establishing a level playing field in a significant number of areas; requesting all public sector institutions and regulatory authorities to publish performance standards and time frames within which approvals, determinations and responses will be made available; reducing transaction costs to improve competitiveness; improving the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of donor-funded and government projects through private sector support in project planning and project management; announcing the policy on the Government approach to privatisation, strategies for employment creation and improved living standards through flexibility-oriented labour reforms; reducing the number of holidays; and an early announcement, ie. before December 31, of the policy framework; regulatory framework and expected legislative framework covering infrastructure, with specific reference to power, port, airport, highways, water and telecommunications to be made. The CCC has requested the Government to move to a coal power plant supported base power enhancement project along with further exploitation of any hydro-power sources and mini hydro power supplementation, policy reforms and restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board to be initiated without delay. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Colombo Port to make it the most sought after and cost and service competitive hub port in the region; develop the Hambantota Port as the alternate port and services centre for passing ships; develop and implement a strategy to improve bunkering as a value added service that attracts more ships to call over at Sri Lankan ports; create a facility at Colombo, Galle and Hambantota Port areas for freeport operations; entrepot trading services to take place and allow flexible documentation facilitation support and ensuring planned development and value enhancing leveraged investments for the Port of Trincomalee to attract investments to the port and port-related services have also been recommended. Some of the other recommendations are: Develop connectivity and productivity via a set of key highways having obtained financing and planning support; give preference to the ring roads Colombo-Katunayake, Colombo-Kandy, Anuradhapura-Polonnaruwa, Jaffna-Trincomalee and Moneragale-Badulla; develop road and rail networks from Hambantota to Colombo to support transportation needs arising from the development of the Hambantota Port; trains and transport facilities to provide cost effective services to commuters and to transport goods; examine the feasibility of a sky train service linking parking areas with key city points; develop the key railway stations linking Colombo to the South and upcountry, especially those in the city and near key tourist destinations with retail trading; catering services and entertainment areas with private sector participation; Develop an alternate emergency airport for risk minimisation; upgrade and modernise the Katunayake airport with additional runways and facilities; offshore and in view of the substantial burden imposed on the plantation companies as a result of the recently concluded wage increase, the annual lease rentals payable by plantation companies be frozen at the 1994 level for a period of five years commencing 2002. As such, the annual increase in lease rental at the rate of four per cent above the GDP deflator will not arise during this five-year period, the CCC said. |
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