Sri Lanka invites global investments to Colombo port city

Columbo: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has invited business leaders from around the world to the Colombo Port City, to make optimal use of the unique opportunities provided by the hub.

Speaking at the Sri Lanka Investment Forum (SLIF) 2021, President Rajapaksa said on Monday: "We encourage business leaders from all nations to make full use of the unique strengths and many opportunities that the Port City affords by investing here."

"Our vision is to make the Port City a key service hub for one of the fastest-growing regions in the world" he added.

The SLIF is a three-day virtual event organised by Sri Lanka's Board of Investment, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and the Colombo Stock Exchange to attract high-quality investors from around the world.

The event showcases investment opportunities in the country and provides investors with an opportunity to network with local policymakers and businessmen.

Rajapaksa told investors that his government has passed a legal framework that would establish special incentives and improve ease of doing business in the Port City SEZ.

"Its residents will have all the facilities they need to do productive work while enjoying a very high quality of life in a vibrant tropical beachside environment that fuses the best of both old and new," he said.

The President also encouraged investment in a broad range of areas prioritised by government policies, including trans-shipment and logistics, organic agriculture, value-added agricultural exports, large-scale solar and wind power, manufacturing, IT, and tourism.

"The government of Sri Lanka is proactive and pro-business. We will look very favourably upon investments that can have a transformative impact on our economy as well as our national profile, and we will do our utmost to create an enabling environment for the success of such investments," Rajapaksa added.