Friday, 21 June 2013 03:29
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The headline ‘US$ 4 b heavy industry zone in Sampur’ in the Sunday Times certainly took my breath away on Sunday morning and I have not been the only one for many friends and acquaintances said the same. This is why we wish the Government would give us the information we request below relating to this huge project. Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara speaking at a meeting organised by the ‘Liberals of Lanka’ claimed that we have the Right to Information guaranteed by the Constitution.
We do have many questions to ask in the national interest: In the first instance could we be told how and as to who would supply the power, for it is an accepted fact that heavy industry consumes heavy energy and this is at a time when our energy supplies are facing difficulties and we the people are being charged unconscionable amounts as charges for electricity.
Where is the energy to come from – is it from India, would this not create a strategic dependence which India could and would exploit? What would be the rate at which these heavy industries would be charged?
It is equally interesting as to why they chose Sri Lanka to establish their heavy industries which are not welcome in many countries because of the pollution factor. Have we taken into account the environmental damage these industries would cause? Could the environmental report be released to the public for it is we who would be affected by damage to the environment? Please do not forget Bhopal.
Would the Government reveal the name or names of the promoters and as to whether these industries are entirely foreign owned and as to whether the Government has or is required to invest public money in these industries?
Heavy industries are by nature capital intensive and not labour intensive – we are being told that the zone will generate 10,000 jobs. We would be grateful to be informed as to whether this number has been given by the investor and as to whether we could be given a rough breakdown.
Does this figure mean those who would be working on the construction of the three facilities including foreign workers? How many permanent jobs would be generated after the facilities are established? Would the investors also provide housing for the local workers and other facilities for the families, for the Eastern Province would not have the necessary numbers and people would have to come from other provinces?
We also wish to know whether these investors have been given tax concessions and if so the nature of the tax concessions and the number of years of the tax holiday. We are also curious to know the basis on which the projects have been ‘appraised’ and which Government department had the knowledge to be capable of appraising all aspects of the project and as to whether only the purely economic factors were taken into account In doing the appraisal.
Finally (and not because there are no more matters for which we want answers), does the figure given of US$ 4 billion as the value of the total project include the value or claimed worth of equipment fabricated abroad? How much foreign money would be actually invested here and would this money including working capital or is the money to be raised from local banks?
We are said to have this Right to Information guaranteed to us by the Constitution itself according to Minister Vasudeva Nanyakkara; let us hope he would take a personal interest to obtain for us the people this vital information we have identified in this letter.
Hemasiri Perera
