It has been advised to the Ministry of Investment Promotion in the National Operations Room discussions to prepare a plan to make proper use of the buildings constructed in the Technology Parks by the Techno Park Company in Kurunegala and Galle Districts.
The problems of the development projects and the methods of expediting those projects were discussed by the National Operation Room headed by the Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake.
It was discussed that the suspension of construction of the two Technology Parks started in Kurunegala and Galle was due to the absence of a method to cover the operating expenses of the Techno Park Company.
Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake emphasized that a large number of job opportunities can be created through the field of information technology, which is emerging day by day.
This matter was discussed twice in the National Operations Room, where a viable project proposal could be submitted to the Department of Public Enterprises to quickly increase the liquid assets of the Techno Park Company, and the National Budget Department was also advised to explore the possibility of providing financial allocations by the government to support the company’s operating expenses until it becomes profitable.
As the National Operating Room Committee has been informed that the National Budget Department is not able to provide financial allocations to support the operational expenses of the Techno Park Company, the relevant key stakeholders were called this time with the aim of discussing a method to effectively implement its future activities.
It was mentioned here that loans of 750 million rupees from the National Savings Bank and 750 million rupees from the People’s Bank have been obtained in 2021 for the Technology Park construction programme under the Techno Park Company, but the related loan installments and interest payments have been suspended from the year 2022.
The problems of the Mahaweli Water Security Investment Programme were also discussed in this meeting. It was revealed that the settlement of the future payments and outstanding bills of the North Central Canal contract package, which was planned to be financed under the Asian Development Bank loan installments 1, 2 and 3, has been delayed since the 3rd installment has not been received. It was decided to look into the possibility of paying the outstanding bills with the funds of the Ministry of Irrigation and the Department of Irrigation and, if necessary, to refer it for parliamentary approval.
The committee focused on the environmental problems that have arisen due to the pollution of the Victoria Reservoir due to the sewage of Pallekele prison and asked the prison department to renew the sewage system, which is currently not in operation, with the assistance of the Drainage Board within 4 months and to inform the prison department to inquire about the progress within a month after the start of the renovations.
