Commercial agreement signed between Sri Lanka and France

Chairman of the French Company Matiere, Philippe Matière and the Secretary Ports and Highways, R.W. Ranjith Pemasiri on behalf of the Road Development Authority (RDA) signed on Tuesday (11) a commercial agreement for the supply of 46 metallic bridges, to be distributed island wide.

The signature of the commercial agreement occurred, in presence of the French Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Christine Robichon.

This contract benefits of a French soft loan of 22,050,000 Euros, signed between the Governments of France and Sri Lanka, at the end of December 2011. This priority project of the Sri Lankan Government will be realised on a co-financing, the cost of civil works being borne by the Sri Lankan Government. The French part of the financing is a French Treasury loan, at a very concessional rate on a long term basis.

Sri Lanka is a recipient of the Emerging Country Fund (RPE), governed by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, beside operations funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). The RPE fund has been utilised to assist Sri Lanka after the Tsunami in 2004. The Trincomalee Water Supply project and for the provision of heavy medical equipment to several public hospitals (oxygen concentrators, operating theatres, equipments for cardiology and radiology) have been implemented under this fund. Present in France for the last 80 years, the family run company Matière is renowned for innovative and aesthetic bridge designs, as well as manufacture and installation of metallic, concrete and sanitation structures. On a worldwide scale the company, Matière has constructed 12,000 reference structures in 25 countries, including Japan. With the Unibridge, Matière has redefined the modular bridge concept, through an innovative, award-winning design that allows the rapid and economical construction of definitive bridges or emergency structures for crisis situations.

The Unibridge modular bridge system is co-manufactured in France by Matiere and Eiffage Construction Metallique.

Both companies have created a joint venture, named Unibridge Trading, to commercialise modular bridges for emerging countries such as Iraq, Philippines, Gabon and Sri Lanka.

Since 1992, Eiffage Branche Métal, formerly known as Eiffel is a subsidiary of Eiffage, major of construction and concession in France and Europe. Following the merger of prestigious companies in the field of steel construction, including Gustave Eiffel’s workshops, Eiffage Branche Métal was created in 1966 under the name of CFEM.

The company has always developed corporate values attached to its illustrious ancestor. Today, with its 5,200 employees working in France and Europe, Eiffage Branche Métal develops skills in diverse areas such as boiler-making, civil engineering structures, maintenance and services to industry, mechanical engineering, facades, and so on.

The French Government, Matiere and Eiffage and their representative in Sri Lanka Mackwoods are proud to participate in the reconstruction and infrastructure development of Sri Lanka.