News
State owes Rs 209b: Builders
View(s):
Builders relied on Government-funded projects
By Sadisha Saparamadu
The Sri Lankan Government owes nearly Rs 209 billion to private and public contractors, an industry group says.
Dr Rohan Karunaratne, president of the Ceylon Institute of Builders, said he recently asked the Government to settle the dues through Treasury Bills.
The industry employs nearly 1.2 mn workers at all levels of the supply chain, he said. Dr Karunaratne said discussions with the Central Bank (CBSL) Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe were promising. The CBSL plans to release Rs 25 bn this month to pay dues.
However, he asked for the remaining payments to be settled as well, prioritising the small and medium enterprises that comprise the majority of the builders, who employ the most people.
Thilak Weerawansa Patiyakumbura, CEO of the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka, said the builders relied on mostly Government-funded projects, such as schools and hospitals. He said Government officials were not interested in discussions with industry stakeholders. The Government should hear the concerns of the industry, he said, noting that the NCASL recently held a protest.
Dr Karunaratne, meanwhile, suggested the Government create a presidential task force, which included private and public contractors to prioritise projects that would benefit the public the most and that projects be shared among contractors. He also noted that projects funded by multilateral organisations such as the Asian Development Bank are often halted by the Government. These projects should not be discontinued, he said.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!