Excon in Batticaloa

Having launched an innovative program of staging regional construction trade fairs and exhibitions with the inaugural event staged recently in Trincomalee, the Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka is now moving to the District of Batticaloa.

'Excon-Batticaloa' the second of the series will be held on May 8 and 9 at Lighthouse School Hindu College, Batticaloa. The event is organized in collaboration with the Batticaloa District Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka Eastern (Batticaloa) Branch. The trade fair is designed to enhance capacities and competitiveness of the Batticaloa District construction industry. The Chamber will launch a Construction Craftsman Training Program in Batticaloa with the assistance of the Government of Germany and in collaboration with GTZ on this occasion.

With the Eastern Province - Batticaloa District accounting for more than 235 constructors who are outside the Major and Specialist categories, "Excon - Batticaloa" will expose this constructor community to new technologies and products, and provide them access to information. The event will also seek to build linkages between larger constructors outside the district and those in Batticaloa.

The Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) has been continuously advocating the need to deploy regional contractors on infrastructure development and construction related projects in the respective regions.

CCI is confident that bridging the gap between more developed construction industries and the less developed in the conflict affected regions is an essential mechanism to accelerate reconstruction and development activities in the North and the East.

'Excon - Batticaloa' and the Construction Craftsman Training Programme will undoubtedly serve as ideal tools in a conflict transformation exercise and need to be supported by all stakeholders of the domestic construction industry ranging from larger constructors, professional institutes such as the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, the INGOs and financial institutions among others.