සංවර්ධන News

[monson]

All systems go for Krrish square project construction

The US$ 650 million-Krrish square project construction is now underway following the final payment (about Rs. 690 million or US$5.3 million) plus fines for the delayed payments being made, top officials of the Board of Investment (BOI) and Urban Development Authority (UDA) confirmed to Business Times (BT).

Krrish Transworks Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, local company of the Krrish Group signed a supplementary agreement with the BOI on November 29, 2016 to complete the project in 48 months, BOI chairman Upul Jayasuriya said on Wednesday in an interview with the BT.

The company will not get tax concessions under the Strategic Development Project Act but provided a tax holiday under section 17 of the BOI Act, he added.

In a separate development, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Development (CCEM) considering submissions made by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade, has referred the Krrish project matter to the Attorney General (AG) for its opinion on the status of the project considering an ongoing court case.

MP Namal Rajapaksa was arrested and remanded in July 2016 for misappropriating Rs.70 million ($500,000) given by Krrish as a sponsorship for a rugby tournament organised by the Carlton Sports Network. Later he was released.

The case is pending at the Colombo Fort Magistrate Courts. The FCID informed the Court on October 31 that the investigation of the inquiry is over and no more suspects are to be arrested with regard to this matter. Subsequently, Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne, fixed March 20 2017 for the Attorney General’s opinion on the case.

The CCEM has directed the ministry not to grant the Strategic Development Project status for the Krrish square project but to give any tax concessions already agreed by the BOI and proceed with the project with AG’s concurrence.

“Krrish Group has nothing to do with the case as it was only the sponsor of a rugby tournament. It was given the greenlight to go ahead with the project following its settlement of the final payment in the land lease deal with the (UDA,” Mr. Jayasuriya said.

Earlier 3.7 acres of land had been cleared by the UDA to proceed with the Krrish Square project construction work under its first phase, UDA Chairman Jagath Nandana Munasinghe revealed.

Construction work on the balance 0.6 acres had been temporarily halted due to a dispute over the final payment (about Rs. 690 million), a UDA official revealed.

MTD Walkers plc is now carrying out piling at the site and it is nearing completion, official said. Krrish had earlier planned to build four towers – the tallest tower with 85 floors, the second 80 and the other two -55 floors each, in five million square feet of residential, commercial space and a hotel.

The project has been downsized from its earlier status to two towers under the present circumstances, official sources revealed.

India-based Krrish Group sealed the controversial deal, that drew allegations of huge pay-offs to politicians and officials, signing a lease agreement with the UDA in August 2012 with the money to be paid in full By January 2013. -(Bandula)

- http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170115/bu...rrish-square-project-construction-224626.html

 

[monson]

Hayleys unveils solar power plant in Welikande

Hayleys Group jointly with Windforce (Pvt.) Ltd and in the forefront of renewable energy, announced today the commissioning of their solar power plant. Located in Welikande in the Pollonnaruwa District, the 10 Mega Watt solar plant has been installed with a solar tracking system that will follow the sun’s rays to ensure an incrementally higher yield of approximately 20 % of energy, than the fixed tilt system. At full capacity, the plant could contribute 22,000 Mega Watt hours to the national grid thus generate enough electricity for roughly 10,000 homes.

- https://www.facebook.com/hayleysgroup/posts/1556639444349498

 

[monson]

Famous Singapore retailer Mustafa returns to Colombo

By Bandula Sirimanna

The Board of Investment (BOI) is stepping on the pedal to revive Sri Lanka’s investment climate, facilitating clearances for several stalled projects worth millions of dollars in addition to new Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) this year, a top official said.

Several investors who abandoned their projects during the previous regime are returning to revive their stalled projects due to confidence building efforts of the BOI, an upbeat chairman of the investment promotion agency, senior lawyer Upul Jayasuriya told the Business Times.

This was a welcome sign for the New Year, he said adding that everyone at the BOI encouraged investors clearing negative publicity given by certain media as the country is in need of much needed foreign exchange at present.

In an interview with Business Times, he noted that the BOI has made it easier for foreign and local private sector companies to invest in the country by introducing new systems including public –private sector partnerships to set up joint ventures in investment zones, new reforms and liberalising land ownership.

The return of Mustafa is reminiscent of a famous Egyptian hit “Ya Mustafa Ya Mustafa” which was popular on Sri Lankan airwaves in the 1960-70s.

The popular Singapore retailer – where many Sri Lankans made a beeline for shopping – is returning to revive its mixed development project under the banner of Hotel Ten (Pvt) Ltd in an agreement that was originally signed in 2012, he disclosed.

The company has signed a supplementary agreement with the BOI to resurrect the US$115 million Hotel Ten project, Mr. Jayasuriya revealed.

The project will feature a 975-room hotel, a retail development store, 400 serviced apartments and a 1,000-vehicle car park, with a gross floor area (GFA) of 142,125 sq metres at Sir Ramanathan Mawatha, Colombo 15.

The Mohamed Mustafa Group has already made an upfront $10 million dollar investment with a bank guarantee of $3 million pledging to bring $60 million within three years during the project construction period, he added.

Overseas Realty (Ceylon) Ltd (ORCL), a unit of Singapore’s Shing Kwan group, will soon begin work on the stalled second phase of the Havelock City, a commercial complex including a retail mall with an investment of $5 million.

The initial agreement of this project was signed in 2010 and the supplementary agreement has been signed recently, Mr. Jayasuriya disclosed.

The $400 million 36-storied mixed development complex ‘Colombo Crown’ comprising a super luxury resort coupled with a mega hotel will be coming up on a 500 perch prime block of land at D.R. Wijeyawardene Mawatha in Fort.

This BOI agreement reached with Ravi Wijeratne, chairman-owner of conglomerate Rank Holdings during the previous regime as a project promoted by global casino magnate James Packer, is still valid to resume the project suspended in 2015 by the authorities who opposed a casino deal, he pointed out.

Rank Holdings has planned to build the country’s first integrated resort with 450 luxury rooms, a signature restaurant and bars, a spa and pool and a “thematic lake water feature, he said, but added “no casino complex will be allowed under the agreement”.

Referring to the recent Volkswagen saga Mr. Jayasuriya said that Volkswagen had abandoned its Sri Lanka project after being found guilty of an emission test fraud which has cost the company heavily for paying massive damages.

He added that they came to know about the withdrawal of the Volkswagen plant here only recently and Senok through a company named Western Automobile has entered into a supplementary agreement with the BOI to revive the project, laying the foundation stone for the new factory at Kuliyapitiya recently.

These hiccups are normal during implementation of foreign investment projects, he said adding that everyone should be happy about reviving the project which will create many employment for youth in the area.

He pointed out that the governments (present and past) should support local industries without forcing it to close down creating economic consequences detrimental to the country.

Citing an example, he noted that business tycoon, the late Upali Wijewardene who was the pioneer of motor car assembly in Sri Lanka had to close down his Upali Motor Company (UMC) which assembled Fiat cars in the island during 1970s due to step motherly treatment by the then government.

If that factory was allowed to continue, Sri Lanka would have become one of the major Fiat car exporting countries, he said adding that no one should contribute towards the downfall of industrial ventures.

Referring to the FDI position, he said uncertainty prevailed in 2015 and 2016, mostly due to political changes, and the BOI has not been able to attract considerable foreign investments.

The FDI has recorded a very low level of $600 to $300 million during the past two years but will regain the momentum this year, he assured.

- http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170115/bu...tailer-mustafa-returns-to-colombo-224494.html

 

[monson]

USAID Clean Water project would benefit 100,000 affected by CKD

An approximately Rs. 150 million ($1 million) programme to provide safe disaster-resilient drinking water to local communities in Sri Lanka was launched by USAID last week.

State Minister Sudharshini Fernandopulle and MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena joined USAID at the launch of the project which expands upon several previous USAID projects since 2012 that have provided sustainable access to drinking water to those areas in the South, East and North prone to droughts and floods.

“The United States is committed to help Sri Lankan families who face daily struggles with reliable sources of clean drinking water,” said US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap.

The project’s scope includes building rainwater harvesting tanks, providing pipe-borne drinking water facilities, and renovating local infrastructure to reduce the effects of floods and droughts. Locations of rainwater harvesting tanks will be prioritised for families and hospitals affected by the rising challenge of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in this country, supporting the efforts of President Maithripala Sirisena and the government of Sri Lanka to address this critical health concern, according to a US embassy media release.

“I also take this opportunity to thank USAID for the excellent support provided to Sri Lanka in promoting rainwater harvesting and improving new technologies,” said State Minister for City Planning and Water Supply Sudharshini Fernandopulle at the launch ceremony.

USAID is again partnering with Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum (LRWHF), a local organisation with 20 years of experience introducing simple and inexpensive options for safe, potable water. This new project will target communities in the North, East, and Uva province exposed to frequent natural disasters. Palm Foundation will provide communities in the Eastern province with pipe water, rainwater harvesting tanks, and local training.

- http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170115/bu...ld-benefit-100000-affected-by-ckd-224364.html

 

[monson]

Two firms win contracts to convert waste to energy

Will burn 900 MT/day of municipal solid waste

Two companies with foreign collaboration and technology are to be given contracts to process municipal solid waste in the Colombo and Gampaha districts and generate electricity under private-public partnerships (PPPs) with the Waste Management Authority of the Western Province.

The investors, Fairway Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., which will set up a facility at Thumbowila, Karadiyana, and KCHT Lanka Jang (Pvt) Ltd., which will operate from a site in Muthurajawela, will do waste-to-energy projects using incineration with foreign technology, according to Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development officials.

The government decided to go for waste-to-energy projects to tackle the growing problem of municipal solid waste disposal for which no sustainable solution has been found for several years, they said.

The waste now ends up in unsanitary landfills which create environmental problems and has led to protests by residents.

The two locations, of 10 acres each, are common disposal sites for local authorities in the Western Province identified by the Waste Management Authority, Western Province (WMA-WP) for municipal solid waste generated in the Colombo and Gampaha districts. Fairway Holdings at Thumbowila, Karadiyana, and KCHT Lanka Jang (Pvt) Ltd. at Muthurajawela, are expected to handle a minimum of 500 metric tonnes and 400 MT a day of municipal solid waste, respectively. The WMA-WP will have stakes in both consortia and be responsible for supplying most of the municipal solid waste, officials said. KCHT Lanka Jang (Pvt) Ltd. was chosen from among four bidders to be given the contract to operate from Muthurajawela with the facility processing 630MT a day of municipal solid waste. The Waste Management Authority of the Western Province will supply 400MT/ day of municipal solid waste and the consortium will have to find the balance 230 MT/day of municipal solid waste on its own. It will use waste incineration technology from South Korea.

Fairway Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., which will use technology from Germany and Denmark, was selected from among three bidders to operate at the Thumbowila, Karadiyana site, to which the WMA-WP will supply 500 MT/day of municipal solid waste. However, the rate at which both companies will sell the electricity they generate from waste it yet to be decided.

- http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2017/01/15/business/two-firms-win-contracts-convert-waste-energy

 

[SadunGamage]

Ela Ela

 

[monson]

 

[monson]

 

[Smartm]

Famous Singapore retailer Mustafa returns to Colombo

By Bandula Sirimanna

The Board of Investment (BOI) is stepping on the pedal to revive Sri Lanka’s investment climate, facilitating clearances for several stalled projects worth millions of dollars in addition to new Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) this year, a top official said.

Several investors who abandoned their projects during the previous regime are returning to revive their stalled projects due to confidence building efforts of the BOI, an upbeat chairman of the investment promotion agency, senior lawyer Upul Jayasuriya told the Business Times.

This was a welcome sign for the New Year, he said adding that everyone at the BOI encouraged investors clearing negative publicity given by certain media as the country is in need of much needed foreign exchange at present.

In an interview with Business Times, he noted that the BOI has made it easier for foreign and local private sector companies to invest in the country by introducing new systems including public –private sector partnerships to set up joint ventures in investment zones, new reforms and liberalising land ownership.

The return of Mustafa is reminiscent of a famous Egyptian hit “Ya Mustafa Ya Mustafa” which was popular on Sri Lankan airwaves in the 1960-70s.

The popular Singapore retailer – where many Sri Lankans made a beeline for shopping – is returning to revive its mixed development project under the banner of Hotel Ten (Pvt) Ltd in an agreement that was originally signed in 2012, he disclosed.

The company has signed a supplementary agreement with the BOI to resurrect the US$115 million Hotel Ten project, Mr. Jayasuriya revealed.

The project will feature a 975-room hotel, a retail development store, 400 serviced apartments and a 1,000-vehicle car park, with a gross floor area (GFA) of 142,125 sq metres at Sir Ramanathan Mawatha, Colombo 15.

The Mohamed Mustafa Group has already made an upfront $10 million dollar investment with a bank guarantee of $3 million pledging to bring $60 million within three years during the project construction period, he added.

Overseas Realty (Ceylon) Ltd (ORCL), a unit of Singapore’s Shing Kwan group, will soon begin work on the stalled second phase of the Havelock City, a commercial complex including a retail mall with an investment of $5 million.

The initial agreement of this project was signed in 2010 and the supplementary agreement has been signed recently, Mr. Jayasuriya disclosed.

The $400 million 36-storied mixed development complex ‘Colombo Crown’ comprising a super luxury resort coupled with a mega hotel will be coming up on a 500 perch prime block of land at D.R. Wijeyawardene Mawatha in Fort.

This BOI agreement reached with Ravi Wijeratne, chairman-owner of conglomerate Rank Holdings during the previous regime as a project promoted by global casino magnate James Packer, is still valid to resume the project suspended in 2015 by the authorities who opposed a casino deal, he pointed out.

Rank Holdings has planned to build the country’s first integrated resort with 450 luxury rooms, a signature restaurant and bars, a spa and pool and a “thematic lake water feature, he said, but added “no casino complex will be allowed under the agreement”.

Referring to the recent Volkswagen saga Mr. Jayasuriya said that Volkswagen had abandoned its Sri Lanka project after being found guilty of an emission test fraud which has cost the company heavily for paying massive damages.

He added that they came to know about the withdrawal of the Volkswagen plant here only recently and Senok through a company named Western Automobile has entered into a supplementary agreement with the BOI to revive the project, laying the foundation stone for the new factory at Kuliyapitiya recently.

These hiccups are normal during implementation of foreign investment projects, he said adding that everyone should be happy about reviving the project which will create many employment for youth in the area.

He pointed out that the governments (present and past) should support local industries without forcing it to close down creating economic consequences detrimental to the country.

Citing an example, he noted that business tycoon, the late Upali Wijewardene who was the pioneer of motor car assembly in Sri Lanka had to close down his Upali Motor Company (UMC) which assembled Fiat cars in the island during 1970s due to step motherly treatment by the then government.

If that factory was allowed to continue, Sri Lanka would have become one of the major Fiat car exporting countries, he said adding that no one should contribute towards the downfall of industrial ventures.

Referring to the FDI position, he said uncertainty prevailed in 2015 and 2016, mostly due to political changes, and the BOI has not been able to attract considerable foreign investments.

The FDI has recorded a very low level of $600 to $300 million during the past two years but will regain the momentum this year, he assured.

- http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170115/bu...tailer-mustafa-returns-to-colombo-224494.html

Referring to the recent Volkswagen saga Mr. Jayasuriya said that Volkswagen had abandoned its Sri Lanka project after being found guilty of an emission test fraud which has cost the company heavily for paying massive damages.

He added that they came to know about the withdrawal of the Volkswagen plant here only recently and Senok through a company named Western Automobile has entered into a supplementary agreement with the BOI to revive the project, laying the foundation stone for the new factory at Kuliyapitiya recently.

These hiccups are normal during implementation of foreign investment projects, he said adding that everyone should be happy about reviving the project which will create many employment for youth in the area.

 

[monson]

China-funded apartment complex for Aranayake affected

Construction on an apartment complex consisting 100 houses for families affected by the Aranayake landslide will begin today.

The apartment complex is being built with a donation from the Chinese government.

The foundation stone will be laid by Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yap, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Musthapa and Chinese Ambassador Yi Xian Liang.

- http://www.dailynews.lk/2017/01/16/local/104799/china-funded-apartment-complex-aranayake-affected

 

[monson]

Coca-Cola mulls production hub in Sri Lanka: Finance Ministry

Jan 16, 2017 17:39 PM GMT+0530 | 0 Comment(s)

ECONOMYNEXT - Coca-Cola, a US-based beverage firm has met Sri Lanka's finance minister to sound out the possibility of setting up a regional production hub catering to South Asia, a statement said.

President of Coca-Cola Asia Pacific, John Murphy and Executive Vice President Irial Finan had met Finane Minister Ravi Karunanayake and discussed the opportunity of producing some of the group's brands in Sri Lanka for export to India.

However they had been concerned about the stability of taxation of investments.

Sri Lanka has changes tax rates frequently and in 2015, also charged retrospective taxes. The elected ruling class has also expropriated domestic and foreign business.

In addition to fizzy drinks, Coca-Cola also produces fruit juices under the Minute Maid brand.

Sri Lanka has at least one company that packs fruit juices for export to India.

- http://www.economynext.com/Coca_Col..._in_Sri_Lanka__Finance_Ministry-3-7093-1.html

 

[KDH]

monsoon ඇතුළු unp නඩේ ඉල්ලපු තවත් සංවර්ධනයක්.උබලා වගේ එවුන් කොහොමත් සමලිංගික විවාහ කරගෙන මේ ලක් පොළවෙන් වද වෙලා යන තරමට හොදයි.

​

 

[KDH]

01.අහිංසක සමනලයන්ගේ අයිතිවාසිකම් සුරක්ෂිත කරදිම වෙනුවෙන් ඇපකැප වී සිටින අවිහිංසාවාදි මනුස්සයෙක්..

02.බට ලන්දෙ ළමා නිවාසේ ළමයින්ගේ අනාගතේ දීප්තිමත් කළ රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක්

03.උතුරේ උන්නු ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ආවේණික කොටි වෙනුවෙන් 2001 වර්ෂයේ අභයභූමියක් ලියල දුන්නූ රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක් .

04.යළි පුබුදමු ශ්‍රී ලංකා වැඩසටහන යටතේ පෞද්ගලිකරණය කරල තිබුණු රාජ්‍ය ආයතන නැවත රජයට පවරාගත් රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක් ..

05.බුලත් විට කාපු,අමුඩ ඇඳපු ,ගොයියන්ට චුයින්ගම්,ඩෙනිම් හඳුන්වා දුන් රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක්

06.නංගිලා මල්ලිලාගෙ අත පය මාල වලින් බ්‍රේස්ලට් වලින් පුරවපු රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක්

07.මහ බැංකුවේ කුණු හෝදලා පිරිසිදු කළ රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක්

08.ෆෙඩරල් වෙලා තියෙන ලංකාව ඒකීය රටක් කරන්න දුක් විඳින රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක්

09.ගල් වඩුවන් වෙනුවෙන් අනුපමේය මෙහෙවරක් ඉටු කරන රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක්

10.හම්බන්තොට ගල කපලා චිනට විකුනපු, මත්තල ගුවන් තොටුපලේ ගබඩා කරපු වී ටික ක්ෂණිකව අතුරුධන් කරපු..

11.පාවෙවි තිබුනු රුපියල ගැඹුරටම ගිල්වපු,සමනලයන්ට රජ බොජුනක් වූ.

12. 88/89 භීෂනයට තිතක් තියපු.

13.බෝධියකට පැන් වත් කිරීමට අලුත් ක්‍රමයක් කියා දුන්,ජාතික ගීයටනව නර්ථන ශෛලයක් එක් කෙරූ .

14.ලක්ෂ 62 ක් වන අපි හැමෝගෙම අප්පොච්චී වුණ රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක්

එහෙව් රත්තරං මනුස්සයෙක් අපේ රටේ අගමැතිතුමා වෙලා ඉන්නකොට අපිට හදවතින්ම ආඩම්බරයි...

,,,

 

[ȜMA X]

monsoon ඇතුළු unp නඩේ ඉල්ලපු තවත් සංවර්ධනයක්.උබලා වගේ එවුන් කොහොමත් සමලිංගික විවාහ කරගෙන මේ ලක් පොළවෙන් වද වෙලා යන තරමට හොදයි.

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http://nethgossip.lk/articles/19892

 

[KDH]

http://nethgossip.lk/articles/19892

​

 

[monson]

- dailynews.lk/2017/01/17/

 

[monson]

- dailynews.lk/2017/01/17/

 

[ȜMA X]

- dailynews.lk/2017/01/17/

this is why they moved here you dumb fucker

Indian officials order Coca-Cola plant to close for using too much water


Authorities in northern India have ordered the closure of a Coca-Cola bottling plant at the centre of protests that it is extracting too much groundwater, an official said Wednesday.
An anti-pollution official said the Mehdiganj plant in Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh had breached the conditions of its operating licence, prompting the order closure earler this month.
"The plant is closed following our orders," Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board member secretary J.S. Yadav told AFP.
"They have also been asked to take suitable measures to recharge the depleting groundwater level by twice the amount they have extracted.
"Also, the effluents released by the plant contain pollutants beyond the permissible limits."
The plant was also asked to produce a permission certificate from a government agency that regulates ground water use, Yadav said.
The company has appealed the closure order to India's environment court, the National Green Tribunal, he said.
Coca-Cola, the world's largest soft-drinks maker which has consistently denied the allegations, could not immediately be contacted for comment.
The Indian unit of the company hit a hurdle earlier this year when local authorities said they would demolish the plant, claiming it was built on village council land and was "illegal".
The authorities also imposed a 126,000 rupee ($2,000) fine on Hindustan Coca-Cola Company Private Limited, over the land issue.
India is one of Coke's fastest-growing markets thanks to an expanding middle class.
The bottling plant, one of 58 that Atlanta-based Coca-Cola has in India, has been at the centre of protests for years. Demonstrators accuse the company of creating major water shortages through excessive extraction of water and of polluting groundwater and soil.
Coke last year announced the completion of work to expand the Varanasi bottling facility which can produce 600 polyethylene terephthalate bottles a minute.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/18/indian-officals-coca-cola-plant-water-mehdiganj

 

[monson]

 

[monson]