Sri Lankan Infrastructure and development thread (rail,road,skyscrapers etc etc)

[samv]

Sri Lanka economy unlikely to grow more than 4 pc in 2018

COLOMBO: The governor of Sri Lanka’s central bank on Wednesday said the country’s economy is unlikely to grow more than 4 percent in 2018.

“The output gap continued to be pretty significant … it is unlikely that growth would be going to be more than 4 percent this year,” Indrajit Coomaraswamy told reporters.

The central bank had previously estimated this year’s growth to be between 4 percent and 4.5 percent, falling short of the 5 percent touted earlier.

Coomaraswamy also said the island nation would get the $500 million first tranche of a $1 billion syndicated loan from China Development Bank by month end, with the second $500 million tranche by October.

He added that Sri Lanka also planned to issue so-called panda bonds worth the equivalent of about $200-$250 million before year-end.

https://www.brecorder.com/2018/08/0...onomy-unlikely-to-grow-more-than-4pc-in-2018/

 

[Gibbs]

If it was up to me i'd get rid of all the tuk tuk's, Bloody menace they have become, Two issues remain though

Will India pressurize the govt against this given they immensely benefited by flooding the roads with their tin death traps over the years and fear of loosing a major export market, And Why would Bangladesh accept 2nd hand Indian tuk tuk's ? @Godman @Nilgiri @bluesky@Bombaywalla

 

[bluesky]

If it was up to me i'd get rid of all the tuk tuk's, Bloody menace they have become, Two issues remain though

Will India pressurize the govt against this given they immensely benefited by flooding the roads with their tin death traps over the years and fear of loosing a major export market, And Why would Bangladesh accept 2nd hand Indian tuk tuk's ? @Godman @Nilgiri @bluesky@Bombaywalla

Bangladesh certainly does not accept any 2nd hand battery powered three wheelers from India. The battery operated ones are small and slow. These are imported from China and I also heard that some BD companies import the parts and assemble them BD style without much automation. Indian ones (I forgot the name) are quite heavy, speedy and are run by diesel. All new.

The smaller and big both the types are giving good service to the small towns and villages throughout the country. The battery operated ones are charged overnight and used throughout the day. The expansion of power production has helped many many thousands of people who work as drivers whole day to earn a living. BD roads are quite good for these types of vehicles.

 

[Godman]

If it was up to me i'd get rid of all the tuk tuk's, Bloody menace they have become, Two issues remain though

Will India pressurize the govt against this given they immensely benefited by flooding the roads with their tin death traps over the years and fear of loosing a major export market, And Why would Bangladesh accept 2nd hand Indian tuk tuk's ? @Godman @Nilgiri @bluesky@Bombaywalla

I doubt this plan will succeed. The government must work to regulate them and limit their numbers.
Stuff like introducing Electric tuk tuks are unrealistic

 

[Gibbs]

Bangladesh certainly does not accept any 2nd hand battery powered three wheelers from India. The battery operated ones are small and slow. These are imported from China and I also heard that some BD companies import the parts and assemble them BD style without much automation. Indian ones (I forgot the name) are quite heavy, speedy and are run by diesel. All new.

The video mentions that after phasing out Diesel and petrol tuk tuk's in Sri Lanka and replacing them with the electric ones they are planning to export the excess carbon fuel Tuk tuk (Most likely Indian made Bajaj's) to Bangladesh, Now i dont really know if there is some kind of agreement for this but if not i dont find a reason why Bangladeshi authorities would accept those

 

[samv]

Development under threat: Sri Lanka's transport sector faces crisis as train strike continues into third day

Sri Lanka's public transportation sector was plunged into a crisis as an islandwide train strike continued into its third day on Friday, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and depending on other modes of transportation.

The sudden strike was launched on Wednesday afternoon by trade unions from the Sri Lanka Railways Department, who are demanding higher salaries and better facilities for railway workers.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in a statement on Thursday urged the strikers to end their strike action and called on them to hold discussions with the government.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, whilst condemning the sudden strike, said the government had increased the number of government buses on the road and the army had been called in to operate special buses especially for students who were sitting for their Advanced Level examinations.

The minister urged the railway trade unions to end the strike before holding discussions with the government.

A trade union official from the Sri Lanka Railways Department told Xinhua, the ongoing strike would continue till the government accepted their demands.

http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2018-08/10/content_58386107.htm

 

[Tshering22]

Lankan friends, Please don't make your beautiful country a concrete jungle. Skyscrapers look good in photoshop edited magazine covers. In real life they are really dangerous as they just block out the nature.

Keep your natural heaven as green and as clean as you already have.

 

[Gibbs]

Lankan friends, Please don't make your beautiful country a concrete jungle. Skyscrapers look good in photoshop edited magazine covers. In real life they are really dangerous as they just block out the nature.

Keep your natural heaven as green and as clean as you already have.

Agreed, But it's inevitable that high rises will come up in Colombo along with it's development, And bludgeoning population grows.. To it's credit so far they have been able to retain much of it's green spaces, Way more than any of it's counter part cities in rest of the region.. Lets just hope they will stick to that policy

 

[Godman]

Matara-Beliatta Railway Track: Work to finish by early 2019
2018-08-17 23:33:02
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The first phase of the Southern Railway Expansion Project -- the stretch from Matara to Beliatta, will be completed by the beginning of next year, a Chinese construction company consultant said yesterday.

H. Piyadasa, who is a Senior Engineering Consultant for the China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC) on this project, said they had completed 90 per cent of the work.

He said railway lines were being laid and the construction of railway stations was being carried out simultaneously.

“This is the most modern railway line in Sri Lanka where a train will be operated at a speed limit of 120 kmph. Operations will begin in four-five months,” Mr. Piyadasa told a group of journalists visiting the construction site of the Kekunadura Railway Station.

The main railway stations are being constructed at Kekunadura, Bambarenda, Wewrukannala and Beliatta while there will also be two other substations along the new railway line.

Meanwhile, the construction company said the longest bridge in Sri Lanka Railway which is 1.5 km in length was being constructed at Wattegama while the longest tunnel -- 615 metres in length -- has been built at Nakutiya.

The Matara-Beliatta stretch of the Southern Railway Expansion project is 26.75 km long and is being constructed by the CMC on a concessionary loan of US$278 million obtained from the Exim Bank of China.

The second phase of the Railway Expansion project from Beliatta to Hambantota and the third phase from Hambantota to Kataragama will begin during the next few years. (By Lahiru Pothmulla)

Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Construction of fourth stage of Southern Expressway underway
2018-08-18 15:01:16
4
6604

The construction of the fourth stage of the Southern Expressway expansion project is underway. The fourth stage which includes a massive elevated circular road, spans from Andarawewa towards Mattala via Hambantota. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

 

[Godman]

New businesses to add over 1,300 jobs in northern Sri Lanka
Sep 03, 2018 13:11 PM GMT+0530 | 0 Comment(s)

Hirdaramani Clothing plant in Jaffna

ECONOMYNEXT – Fourteen new businesses coming up in northern Sri Lanka will create over 1,300 jobs in the former war zone which is still recovering from the violence and where unemployment is high.

The Board of Investment said among the new investments in the northern province are a Chinese aquaculture project, power plants and a hotel.

The region has much potential and opportunities remain untapped owing to the effects of the 30-year ethnic war that ended in 2009, the investment promotion agency, which has an office in Jaffna said.

“In spite of these challenges the BOI places high priority in investment in the north as this effort is more than just development and part of the process of strengthening inclusiveness and reconciliation in the country,” a statement said.

Twenty-one existing businesses approved by the BOI employ 8,754 people with 14 new ones to add 1,388 new jobs.

Existing businesses include six apparel factories which represent an investment of Rs8 billion and employ 7,917 workers.

Another 15 projects in different sectors are also operational and represent investments of Rs16.3 billion and
provide employment to 837 workers in the Northern Province.

The BOI said two new projects are awaiting commercial operation, five awaiting implementation, two have been approved and awaiting the signing of agreements and another five projects are awaiting approval.

“When all these 35 BOI projects in the north become operational, the total investment will be around Rs46,484 million, which will result in a cumulative total of 10,142 jobs.”

The six operating apparel plants are Omega Line Ltd in Rasinthinankulam (Vavuniya), Hirdaramani Fashion (Pvt) Ltd (Vavuniya), Hirdaramani Clothing (Pvt) Ltd., Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu), Timex Garments (Pvt) Ltd (Mannar), and MAS Active (Pvt) Ltd and MAS Intimates (Pvt) Ltd both in Killinochchi.

The apparel manufacturing plants cumulatively employ 7,917 staff and represent an investment of US$65 million.

In addition there are 15 other BOI projects that are operational which are involved in the manufacture of ice, fishing nets, mesh products, artificial flowers and concrete products in addition to hotels, health care and power generation.

Their total value is Rs16,293 million and the projects have created 837 jobs in the Northern Province.

The largest in investments terms is the Northern Power Company (Pvt) Ltd with a total value of Rs5,600 million.

In employment generation terms the Northern Central Hospitals (Pvt) Ltd project has created 278 new job opportunities.

Hotels built in the Northern Province as BOI projects are the Tilko Jaffna City Hotel, the Yarl Hotels (Jetwing) Pvt Ltd., and The Thempa Tourist Hotel (Pvt) Ltd.

“The interest in tourism to the Northern Province, particularly to the Jaffna Peninsula, has spurred the construction of hotels in the province in recent years,” the BOI said.

An aquaculture project to be developed in the Mannar district will be involved in breeding of prawns and is a collaboration between Sri Lankan and New Zealand business interests.

Two new windpower plant, namely Julipower and Beta Power, are operating along with solar power plant, Wydexa Power. Two more windpower projects in the Jaffna Peninsula are planned.

Another company Shakthi Agro Industries, a joint US-Sri Lanka investment is to manufacture coco peat for the export market and will be located in the Pallai area of the Jaffna Peninsula. This project is awaiting commercial operation.

There is also New Silk Road Aquaculture, a Chinese investment of Rs. 425 million in aquaculture.

Several projects that are awaiting approval include Build Cement (Pvt) Ltd which will be manufacturing partition sheets out of cement and fiber, whose owners are based in Jaffna. This is a subsidiary of Mascon Sri Lanka Company and the value of investment will be US$ 22 million.

AMP Ceylon Ltd is manufacturing ornamental items using local natural material for export purpose.

A planed new hotel in Jaffna is called Arn Mannai (Kings Palace). A new hospital in Vavuniya has been approved and is to be built shortly.
(COLOMBO, 03 September, 2018)

https://economynext.com/New_businesses_to_add_over_1,300_jobs_in_northern_Sri_Lanka-3-11755-4.html

@Gibbs @Nilgiri
Looks like the revival of the Northern economy is slowly picking up speed

 

[Nilgiri]

If it was up to me i'd get rid of all the tuk tuk's, Bloody menace they have become, Two issues remain though

Will India pressurize the govt against this given they immensely benefited by flooding the roads with their tin death traps over the years and fear of loosing a major export market, And Why would Bangladesh accept 2nd hand Indian tuk tuk's ? @Godman @Nilgiri @bluesky@Bombaywalla

Just ban/limit tuk tuks, period. EV,CNG,convetional...there are far better (point to point sensitive) models of transport out there now...but there is vested interests in distorting the market to keep them alive. So really there is no end to the scams (used/dumping etc) as a result.

Whenever there is something terribly inefficient being sustained/shielded, you can bet your bottom dollar the govt is behind it somehow.

 

[Gibbs]

Colombo Port tops global rankings with fastest growth in 1H

• Alphaliner picks Colombo ahead of Singapore, Guangzhou, Antwerp and Dubai
• Colombo records 15.6% growth, first time ranked number one

The Port of Colombo has been ranked as the world’s fastest growing port from among the top 30 container ports for the first half of 2018.

In container handling, the Port of Colombo recorded a 15.6% growth for the first half of 2018 according to Alphaliner Monthly 2018. This the first time in history the Port of Colombo reached this rank. With this growth, the Port of Colombo has leaped ahead of many other Asian ports, major European ports and Dubai.

According to Alphaliner global port rankings, the top container growth ports such as Singapore marked 11.6%, ranking second, Guangzhou 8.6% establishing itself in third, Antwerp (Belgium) 8.3% in fourth and the Port of Xiamen – (China) 7.6% in fifth.

The Alphaliner that makes the analysis is the first-choice knowledge base used by many port authorities’ terminal operators, logistics companies, shippers, research companies and banks and other financial institutions.

Recently the three terminal operators at the Port of Colombo - the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) under SLPA, the South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) and the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) - reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to operate collectively to promote the Port of Colombo.

Under the new collective agreement, it is expected to minimise the total turnaround time of all container vessels. Further, through the new agreement, terminals will also be able to promote the Port of Colombo collectively and collaboratively in the arena of international maritime business.

Under the leadership of Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and instructions of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, the positive increase at SLPA-controlled terminals and especially the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) is reasoned towards direct and straightforward decisions.

The recognition of credibility towards the management has encouraged the employees of SLPA to contribute towards an efficient service along with the support of all parties and stakeholders engaged in the port operations to keep SLPA’s productivity at a steadily and sustainably increasing rate. Creating history, the Port of Colombo for the first time has recorded 6.2 million container operations in 2017.

The Drewry Port Connectivity Index at its most recent release had ranked the Port of Colombo as the 13th best Connectivity Port in the world for the fourth quarter of 2017, up by five places from its previous rank. According to the rankings, the Port of Colombo is also the top best connectivity port in South Asia.

For its dedicated performance to uplift the position of the Port of Colombo on the world maritime map, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) was awarded the Ports Authority of the Year Award by the Global Ports Forum (GPF) in 2018.

 

[pr1v4t33r]

Sri Lanka Interested in Importing 60 Train Cars from Indonesia's PT.INKA

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said Sri Lanka is interested in buying 60 train cars produced by PT Kereta Api (Persero) INKA. This interest was conveyed by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during Word Economic Forum in Hanoi on Wednesday (12/9).

Jokowi said Indonesian government enthusiastically welcome Sri Lanka's interest. The government offers complete packages, not only train cars, but includes the purchase of train facilities and infrastructure, such as rails, stations, depots and signaling systems.

readmore: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonom...-lanka-tertarik-impor-60-gerbong-ka-dari-inka


Some train products from PT.INKA

 

[Nilgiri]

Sri Lanka Interested in Importing 60 Train Cars from Indonesia's PT.INKA

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said Sri Lanka is interested in buying 60 train cars produced by PT Kereta Api (Persero) INKA. This interest was conveyed by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during Word Economic Forum in Hanoi on Wednesday (12/9).

Jokowi said Indonesian government enthusiastically welcome Sri Lanka's interest. The government offers complete packages, not only train cars, but includes the purchase of train facilities and infrastructure, such as rails, stations, depots and signaling systems.

readmore: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonom...-lanka-tertarik-impor-60-gerbong-ka-dari-inka


Some train products from PT.INKA

Nice job, this company is making good progress internationally.

 

[pr1v4t33r]

Nice job, this company is making good progress internationally.

They're progressing well, expanding and reaching new customer every year. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Zimbabwe, Niger and Zambia are on the list for the next export market. INKA will open a 72 acres, 2nd factory on August 2019.


Indonesia-Sri Lanka strengthens cooperation in railway, ready-made garments industrial sectors

Indonesia and Sri Lanka are determined to strengthen cooperation in the industrial sector to improve economic growth of the two countries. This agreement is the result of a meeting between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on ASEAN in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto said that Indonesian government had offered ‘Complete Package’ cooperation to Sri Lanka to build railway facilities and infrastructure in the country. “So it is not only selling railroad cars, but also offering signaling systems, rails, to depots and stations,” he said.

He added Indonesia is currently one of the biggest players in the manufacturing of railway facilities in Southeast Asia. Indonesia’s domestic railroad industry products have been able to fulfill domestic, even overseas market orders, especially in developing countries and regional markets.

“We continue to spur the national railway industry in order to dominate the domestic market and increasingly play a role in the supply chain of the railroad industry for the global market,” Airlangga said in his official statement in Jakarta on Thursday (9/13/2018).

For this reason, the Ministry of Industry has encouraged state-owned railway manufacturer, PT INKA, to continue to conduct coaching activities for small and medium-scale component industries so that they can produce products of a standard quality and can be used in the railroad industry.

Furthermore, the Minister of Industry said that the domestic railway supporting industry has been able to produce around 70 percent of the total component requirements, including the railroad frame. “We hope that in the next two to three years, the industry is capable of up to 80 percent of the total needs,” he said.

The Ministry of Industry also actively spurred the national railroad industry to continue to innovate technology, especially for export-oriented products. In addition, it proactively establishes business cooperation and promotion in order to increase market access to countries that have a large enough market potential, especially in Asia such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Zambia, Nigeria and Egypt.

In addition to the railroad sector, the Governments of Indonesia and Sri Lanka also followed up on previous agreements in the trade sector. One of them is the joint efforts of the two countries to export ready-made garments to the European Union.

Based on Making Indonesia 4.0 road map, the textile and textile products (TPT) industry is one of five manufacturing sectors that are being prioritized as pioneers in the road map for the application of the fourth industrial revolution.

The national textile industry has high competitiveness because its manufacturing structure has been integrated from upstream to downstream and its products are also known to have good quality in the international market.

The Ministry of Industry noted that 30 percent of ready-made garments from the national textile industry are to meet the needs of the domestic market, while 70 percent is for export.

The export value of the national textile industry reached $12.58 billion in 2017, up six percent compared to the previous year. In addition, this sector contributes IDR150.43 trillion to GDP in 2017.

http://www.adaderana.lk/news/50012/...ailway-ready-made-garments-industrial-sectors