Sound infrastructure woos investors

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The Dehiwela Flyover

The construction of the Colombo-Matara Highway

The Nugegoda Flyover

The Kinniya bridge

Peace, air and shipping, electricity, telecommunication, transportation, sound investment climate and most importantly, political stability are the key factors that attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to any country.

One of the main reasons for some of the SAARC and developing countries to fall behind in FDIs is that they are unable to provide this basic infrastructure.

With the end of the war and President being re-elected two key elements have been fulfilled.

Sri Lanka would be the only country in the region with the ability to give its investors a written guarantee that there would not be any power cuts after the completion of several power generation projects across the island.

Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said Sri Lanka would be in a position to give investors a written undertaking that there would never be interruptions in power supplies, and would probably be the only country in the region to do so.

"It was a nightmare and we could not convince investors to come to Sri Lanka. There were times we had to ask them to bring in their own generators and they laughed at us," Dr. Amunugama said of the not too distant past when power failures were a common occurrence.

"But all this is about to change by the year 2012 when we would be in a position to give investors the undertaking and ensure that they would have access to a cheaper and uninterrupted power supply.

"We would do this in writing. No other country in the region would be able to do this. It would be our privilege. India and Nepal cannot sign on the dotted line to say there would be no power cuts, but Sri Lanka could once all the power generation projects are completed by 2012," Dr. Amunugama said.

The 900 Mw Norochcholai coal fired power plant, the 150 Mw Upper Kotmale hydro power project and the 300 Mw Kerawalapitiya combine-cycle power plant are some of the large-scale power projects under construction or nearing completion.

With both private and the government sector engaged in a tough competition the telecommunication and five players involved in the cellular industry this sector is one of the best in the south Asian region.

One of the gray areas for investments was the lack of a proper transport network.

However with two expressways to Matara and Colombo airport already being built and all the other roads being re-laid or reconstructed Sri Lanka would be in an even better position to woo more FDIs.

Developing Colombo-Katunayake Express way had been in the pipeline for decades with the former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike proposing one for the 1976 Non Aligned summit. However this was only confined to three overhead bridges.

With initiative taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Colombo - Katunayake highway the project will be a reality soon.

The construction work of the Colombo-Katunayake highway is now in progress. A sum of 300 million dollars will be spent for this purpose and it is expected to be completed within three years.

The road project encompasses a 25Km, four lane expressway from Colombo to katunayake International Airport with 5 flyovers at Kelaniya, Peliyagoda, Ja-Ela, Kerawalapitiya and katunayake.

When completed the present travel time of 90 minutes would be 45 minutes thus saving time and fuel to motorists. Due to more and more vehicles plying on the highway the present road would clear giving heavy vehicles a faster speed helping the economy.

The first stage of the Southern Expressway would be completed next year . The total cost of the project is Rs. 67,195 million. The length of the Southern Expressway is 128 km with 4 lanes from Kottawa to Matara. This will be constructed with 11 flyovers crossing the following junctions.

The highway which would be Sri Lanka's first completed toll road, would have 160 bridges with 62 bridges constructed on Provincial and Rural roads, Kottawa, Kahathuduwa, Galanigama, Dodangoda, Welipenna, Kurundugahahethakma, Baddegama, Pinnaduwa and Deegoda would be the access points for the road.

When completed a vehicle would be able to travel to Galle in less than one hour and to Matara less than two hours.

The third ambitious project to be undertaken is the Colombo-Kandy Expressway at a cost of Rs. 65,000 million. The project comprises a 100 km, four-lane expressway between Colombo and Kandy, with connection to the Outer Circular Road at Kadawata.

The road capacity in the city of Colombo and its suburbs has not kept pace with the rapid increase in the number of vehicles. This has resulted in the severe traffic congestion with vehicle speed being reduced up to 12 km per hour in the morning and evening.

Road widening alone would not be able to provide a full practical solution to the traffic congestion problem.

Therefore, construction of flyovers at strategically selected junctions is considered to be a means to reduce the traffic congestion. The first was opened in Kelaniya and two more were opened in Nugegoda and Dehiwela last year.

The Orugodawatta and Gampaha flyovers were opened last month and more is to be constructed at Veyangoda (on the Veyangoda-Nittambuwa-Ruwanwella highway,) Kohuwela junction (on Colombo-Horana Road) Kirulapone, (on High Level Road) along the Baseline Road across High Level Road, Borelasgamuwa (on Colombo-Horana Road) and one more along the Duplication Road across the coastal railway line at Slave Island, and also at Welikada-Rajagiriya Junction.

The Batticaloa to Trincomalee road is to be connected with the Kanthale - Ellakanthale road in the near future. These roads are now being developed and it will be completed by the year 2010. The full length of the new road will be 175 kilometers.

At a cost Rs. 13,750 million, construction of Bridges have been initiated and this projects will be completed in year 2011.

Under this project the reconstruction of 222 bridges on National Highways, Provincial and Rural roads will be undertaken in Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Badulla, Gampaha, Kalutara, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Matale, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Ampara and Batticaloa districts.

The Ministry of Highways and Road Development has taken steps to implement several road development projects countrywide.

The Kinniya Bridge which was opened last year with an investment of Rs. 720 million stands as the longest bridge in the country.