Lanka should avoid mistakes of other SA cities - CCC chairman

Sri Lanka should avoid the mistakes of other South Asian cities, when developing the proposed Western Megapolis Project, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Samantha Ranatunga said.

"A centre-piece of the government's economic development agenda - the Western Region Megapolis project will have massive urban infrastructure. But we need to get it right. We must have a strong sustainability focus in this. As a late comer to urbanisation, Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to do things differently, and avoid the mistakes of some other Asian cities," he said.

He was addressing the gathering at the roundtable discussion on 'Co-operation for Sustainable Urban Development' at the Cinnamon Grand recently.

The roundtable discussion was organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in association with the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi and the Consul General of Sweden in Sri Lanka.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Margot Wallstrom, representatives of leading Swedish companies such as ABB, Axis, Ericsson, Saab, Scania and Volvo shared their experience of doing business in Sri Lanka. Margot Wallstrom extended a warm welcome to the participants of the roundtable and explained as to how Swedish companies can collaborate to contribute to Sri Lanka's sustainable urban development initiative and inclusive nation building.

Representatives of Government institutions such the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Sri Lanka Export Development Board and the Western Region Megapolis Planning Project shared their views at the roundtable discussion.