SINGAPORE: Sri Lanka’s government and Singapore infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop the port city of Trincomalee.
It will see Surbana detailing a long-term development plan for the Trincomalee metropolitan area and surrounding cities in the island’s Eastern Province.
Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S Iswaran and Sri Lanka’s Minister for Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama on Thursday (Jun 2) witnessed the signing of the MOU in Colombo.
Progress in the Eastern Province was hampered over the years by the civil war which ended in 2009. The state government is now focused on its development.
“We in the Eastern Province would certainly be willing to play the role of a launching pad for our two countries to achieve a higher level of economic achievement for the benefit of the people of our two countries,” said Mr Nazeer Ahamed, chief minister of the Eastern Province in Sri Lanka.
While in Trincomalee, Mr Iswaran also visited a plant run by Singapore’s Prima Group – one of the first Singapore companies to do business in Sri Lanka.
“I was personally struck by first, how long the business has been in operation here,” he said. “And secondly, the close relationship that exists between the government, the people of this region and the Prima flour business. This is the kind of example we’d like to emulate.”
Mr Iswaran is in Sri Lanka for a three-day working trip.