Economic Development Minister, Basil Rajapaksa stressed the need to entertain massive scale investment projects to upkeep the principles of Mahinda Chintana as an agriculture based nation and added that the Livestock Production Centre - 'Petro L
anka' - at Banduragoda, Mirigama was an incentive in that pathway. Minister Rajapaksa opened the Centre initiated with an investment of Rs 20 million by a Sri Lankan expatriate employee, Lokitha Karawita who served as a Doha-Qatar Petroleum Corporation Construction Engineer.
He commended the massive personal investment towards the country by this patriotic Sri Lankan. Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director of the newly established centre, Lokitha Karawita who named the centre as "Petro Lanka" over his affiliation with the petroleum sector in Qatar said that Sri Lanka could be made the miracle of Asia if all Sri Lankans worked with patriotism and commitment.
Karawita has invested Rs 20 million for the phase of this milk producing venture to increase the capacity of local production.
The milk production of the country at present stands low and this BoI approved project of 'Petro Lanka' will produce an additional 150,000 liters in the milk grid. It is expected to increase the production upto 400,000 liters in the near future under a phased out program. This new project will generate twenty direct and 40 indirect employment opportunities located on a 17 hectare land.
Sri Lanka incurs an expenditure of Rs 17 billion annually on importation of milk foods to the country to meet the demand.
The expansion of the milk producing sector would generate self-employment opportunities and minimize heavy exchange flowing out of the country.
Present on the occasion were Livestock Resources and Rural Resources Minister, Arumugam Thondaman, Livestock Development Board, Chairman Ranjith Ellegama and Petro Lanka Director Mahinda Liyanage.
A very good example set by a good expatriate. Hope there would be many more of such ventures
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