The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) recently organized an Investors Forum for the Kalutara District in partnership with the Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KDCCI), as part of its effort to bring investment to localities other than the Colombo and Gampaha Districts.
This forum which was held at Hotel Blue Waters, Wadduwa, brought together over 100 entrepreneurs and businessmen from the Kalutara district and state institutions including Lankaputhra Development Bank, People’s Bank (Kalutara Region), Inland Revenue Dept, Urban Development Authority, Ceylon Electricity Board, Coast Conservation Dept, Central Environmental Authority and the Bank of Ceylon.
A BOI press release said the local entrepreneurs were from Kalutara, Panadura, Beruwala, Bandaragama, Horana and other provincial towns of the district. Their focus is in agriculture, fisheries, tourism, health care industry and the Small and Medium Industries Sector (Small and Medium Industries). BOI Chairman/Managing Director Dhammika Perera spoke of the importance of developing business and investment at the grassroots level, and stressed the importance for the state and private sector bodies to work hand in hand in developing the local economy.
For investors in the Kalutara District, there were opportunities such as the construction of buildings, office complexes, small-scale hospitals, deep-sea fishing and value added agriculture projects. Mr. Perera said that it was important for entrepreneurs to know the full range of benefits the BOI offers investors. He said that 15 years back, he himself in his capacity of private entrepreneur, was not aware of the Board’s comprehensive package of incentives.
During a discussion, KDCCI President Sarath N. Hapuarachchi spoke on the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the Moderawila Industrial Estate in terms of road access, to which the BOI . Chairman responded by saying that a BOI team will identify these problems and the matter will be taken up by the BOI with a higher institution.
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