Many foreign investors and contractors are now in Sri Lanka interested in construction work under the rebuilding plans after the war ended last week, said Dr Rohan Karunaratne, Chairman, National Construction Association of Sri Lanka.
Speaking to the media at a Colombo hotel to announce the ‘Construct 2009’ Exhibition from 14 – 16 August at the BMICH, he also said several Dubai businessmen are staying at this ‘very hotel (Taj Samudra)’.
He urged Minister of Construction Industries Dr Rajitha Senaratne, also present at the media briefing, to accommodate the highly, competent Sri Lankan construction industry when assigning major construction projects (instead of too much reliance on foreign parties).
The Construction Exhibition, held consecutively for nine years, is this year too expected to see a large number of foreign participants. Already 150 of the stalls have been booked out of the expected 270 stalls.
Dr Senaratne, in his comments, said the construction industry was growing at the rate of 9% and even during the height of conflict it was growing at the rate of 5.6%. He said that earlier the construction industry has contributed Rs 280 billion to the economy but last year it was Rs 150 billion and acknowleged that development projects will now proceed at full swing as the conflict has ended.
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