Hambantota is happening!

Hambantota is the happening place in the country and a private sector initiative to woo more investors to harness unfolding opportunities as well as forge partnerships for locals to undertake a higher share of development is underway. As a maiden but timely effort in post-war Sri Lanka, the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) is holding a half-day Investor Forum on Saturday at Tangalle Hotel Eva Lanka by bringing together key stakeholders in the economic development process in Hambantota.

Limited to 100 participants with registrations on a first-come, first-served basis, the forum will highlight the business and investment climate in the Hambantota District, new development plan for the district, Hambantota Port and opportunities in ancillary services and industries, as well as Hambantota Airport and opportunities in the aviation sector as well as tourism.  The forum, which will be addressed by the heads of Urban Development Authority, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Airport and Aviation Services and Sri Lanka Tourism, will also update on the progress made on some of the major ongoing infrastructure development projects. The forum is expected to be effective as HDCC initiative is supported by the Hambantota District Secretariat, the University of Ruhuna, the World Bank’s private sector investment arm, the International Financial Corporation, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

“With the completion of phase one of the port, near completion of the international exhibition and convention centre and commencement of work on international airport along with other socioeconomic infrastructure, prospects and opportunities in Hambantota are fantastic,” HDCC Director and one of the early investors in the district Suresh de Mel said.

He said that with the formal opening of the Southern Expressway shortly, travel to Hambantota from Colombo can be done in two hours as opposed to six hours previously. This will be an added advantage for the “proposition Hambantota,” he emphasised.

HDCC Director General Azmi Thassim said that whilst the chamber as the first-ever district level private sector organisation in the country had held investor meetings in the past highlighting the potential, there hadn’t been necessary follow up action but noted that the upcoming event given the degree of development taking place held greater promise. “In the past there was only talk of Hambantota but nothing materialised. However under the present regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a number of major development projects have started which the private sector welcomes,” Thassim said.

Development of Hambantota as a sports city, setting up an IT park and so on are positive measures, he added. Hambantota always had the natural advantages such as vast land, strategic location, marine resources and scenic beauty for a variety of sectors to thrive. With the launch of international port and airport, the true potential can be harnessed, he pointed out.

According to the HDCC around 50 large scale investors – mainly foreign – are engaged in various projects and the local economy and businesses have begun to benefit via sub contracts and support services.

“We are keen to ensure more of the local communities – be it people or businesses – become direct participants of these and future projects so there is greater local engagement and trickledown benefits. The forum will be a platform for an exchange of ideas and opportunities for collaboration between district level entrepreneurs and enterprises and big national and international organisations,” HDCC Director General stressed. He said that HDCC was promoting formation of groups among private sector SMEs within the district to negotiate new ventures from a position of strength as opposed to vying for businesses singlehandedly. Capacity building efforts as well as manpower and skills surveys are also ongoing in the district, which has a population of 600,000.

HDCC officials said that with a likely boom in economic activity following rapid infrastructure development, labour migration into Hambantota from neighbouring southern districts as well as return of previously migrated labour from the district would boost the human resource pool for the benefit of investors.

Sri Lanka Tourism Acting Director General Vipula Wanigasekara said that Hambantota was being positioned and developed as a sports, leisure, recreation and tourism city, especially with the bid for hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

“The current room strength in Hambantota is 1,000 whilst if those in Kataragama are added, the figure is around 2,000. In the next three years we have got written commitments from hotel developers that a further 4,500 rooms will be added,” Wanigasekara revealed. He also said that with the presence of a modern exhibition and convention centre, Hambantota would also be a city for MICE tourism in the future.

Airport and Aviation Services Ltd.’s Head of Civil Engineering, Planning and Design G. Withanage said Mattala was being developed as a commercial and city airport with tax free multiple industrial zones within the entire complex. They include duty free shopping, aviation engineering, maintenance, hospitality sectors.

“The Mattala Airport will be bigger with modern facilities and more equipment than the Bandaranaike International Airport. It will also have inline checking,” he added.

Initially Mattala will have greater focus on cargo handling with 45,000 tonnes capacity under stage one and 450,000 over a 10-year period. In terms of passenger capacity, the first phase can accommodate one million and the second stage five million.

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Dr. Anura Ekanayake commended HDCC for its pioneering efforts in promoting investments into the region. “HDCC is a shining example for other regional chambers where the private sector takes a proactive role in promoting as well as facilitating investments and economic development,” Dr. Ekanayake said. “Regional disparities or uneven growth have to be minimised if Sri Lanka to prosper as a dynamic nation because inclusive development integrates value chains in an organised manner in addition to being priced appropriately for all businesses in the country. Regional development is not charity or CSR but it makes business sense and a sound rationale for socioeconomic development and political stability,” emphasised the Ceylon Chamber Chief, urging greater participation from Colombo-based and other large companies at the Hambantota Investor Forum. At the forum scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., presentations will be made by UDA Chairman Janaka Kurukulasuriya who will deal with the new development plan for the Hambantota District, SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama who will present an update on the Hambantota Port and associated opportunities and Airport and Aviation Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya who will speak on the Hambantota Airport and associated opportunities including tourism.  Central Bank Director Statistics D. Wasantha will provide a step-by-step guide to doing business in Sri Lanka, whilst HDCC Director General Thassim will make a presentation on the business and investment climate in the Hambantota District. Hambantota District Secretary R.M.D.B. Meegasmulla will also address the forum.

A panel discussion chaired by Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa is part of the forum as well.  Organisers have arranged field tours to the sea port, airport, cricket stadium and Hambantota town from 3 p.m. onwards.