President opens The Central Point

Tuesday, 12 November 2013 01:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday opened the renovated historic Central Point Building in Fort and the Sri Lanka Economic Museum established in the premises. More than a century old Central Point Building in Chatham Street in Fort was partially damaged during the suicide bomb attack on Sri Lanka’s Central Bank in 1996.

The construction of the original building started in 1911 and it was opened in 1914. The building was then called the National Mutual Insurance building. The Sri Lankan Navy preserving its architectural and archaeological value restored the dilapidated building to its past glory under the instructions of Defense and Urban Development Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The Central Bank established the Economic Museum to showcase the financial and commercial history of Sri Lanka. All the conserved ancient artifacts related to financial history of the island are displayed to public at the Museum. Meanwhile, at the occasion the Governor of Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal handed over to the President the first 500 rupee commemorative note released to mark the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka. Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, and Defense Secretary also participated in the occasion. -Pix by Sudath Silva