Comment: Awakening Hambantota!

The Western Province has been contributing nearly 50% to the GDP while the other provinces have been responsible for the balance. The main reason for this is lack of infrastructure development in the periphery.

Therefore the main aim of the Government is to change this situation to enable the common masses to enjoy equal benefits of development. The Government has taken many steps to reduce the disparity between the urban and the rural masses by improving infrastructure, implementing rural development projects, granting incentives to locate industries in the provinces, purchasing rural produce and encouraging agricultural development schemes.

The Government, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has planned to develop Hambantota as the capital of the South.

The Weerawila International Airport, the first phase of the Hambantota harbour, the Southern Expressway and the proposed highway network connecting Hambantota to the main cities of the Eastern Province are some of the major infrastructure development projects to support the emerging Souther capital in Hambantota.

Allocating Rs.5 billion for rural electrification projects in the Hambantota district is another major infrastructure development project that will be kicked off by the end of this year to provide electricity to upcoming industries and other development projects.

In addition, some of the other major rural infrastructure projects that will be implemented next year are the Norochcholai Coal Power Project and Upper Kotmale Hydro Power project and the Colombo South Port development project. The Government is also planning to start work on roads and electricity generation schemes in many rural areas next year.

The Government's rural electricity generation project to cover all households throughout the county will start with the Hambantota district and it will be expanded gradually to provide electricity to many villages on one hand and on the other hand to enable the rural youth to start small industries and agro based industries.

According to statistics, the country's present unemployment rate is around 6.3%, the lowest, compared to the rates in the recent past. The country can be proud of it. But much needs to be done to educate our youth in Information Technology (IT) and vocational training. The Nenasalas are a boon to rural youth in this regard as IT knowledge is the key to a better future of the youth.

For industrialists, setting up their factories outside the Western Province, the Government has granted special incentives since they want them to move to the provinces hoping that the move will help generate jobs for rural youth thereby reducing the disparity between the urban and the rural people.

However, this move has seen slow progress, and the Government expects it to be fast tracked. One reason for the slow development is the snail's pace of infrastructure development in remote areas.

Businessmen are hoping that the momentum will pick up once the infrastructure projects are accelerated next year.

The Government has also intervened to purchase paddy and Big onion during the season and to discourage imports; a duty would be imposed on wheat flour and Big onions. In addition, the Government encourages people to eat rice and rice based products thereby helping the local farmer to get a better price for his produce.