Business
Smart Facilitation Centre at Hambantota Port established by IDB
The Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) has entered into a sublease agreement with the Industrial Development Board (IDB), to establish a smart Facilitation Centre at the Hambantota Maritime Center (HMC). The new center will smoothen the path for foreign investors focused on establishing projects in the Southern Province, an HIPG news release said.
“The agreement was signed on Dec. 3 by Johnson Liu, CEO, HIPG and Upasena Dissanayake, IDB Chairman in the presence of Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa,” it said.
“The Facilitation Center will provide investors with the support they need in finding suitable real estate and fast tracking required approvals via other government institutions. This will be an added advantage for all potential investors interested in investing in HIP and the Hambantota district, as the new IDB Facilitation Center coupled with the already established BOI-One-Stop Service Center at HMC will create an investment friendly environment.”
Speaking at the event, Weerawansa said, “Many people now have different opinions about China, and whatever they say, we know that most of the investments that China has made are investments that help us generate dollar revenues, not investments that take our dollars out of the country. Our country receives dollar revenue from the Colombo Port City.
“We also collect dollars in taxes. The Hambantota Port once it establishes as a full-service port will bring in foreign exchange to our country. We need projects that can earn dollars. We decided on a Facilitation Centre in proximity to the port to fast track services for export oriented industries.”
The Minister thanked CEO HIPG and the HIP team for their support in providing the premises and other facilities in setting up the Center.
“This move by the IDB is very positive for the port as well as the Southern region, given that the expansion and development of the Hambantota International Port is directly connected to the development of the southern region and in turn the Sri Lankan economy. Therefore, it is not just the port’s industrial zone that we are looking at but all the other industrial zones outside the port which will use HIP to import raw materials and export finished products,” CEO Johnson Liu said.
“HIPG’s port investment services team is also promoting Sri Lanka internationally, showcasing what the country has to offer. We are confident that soon we will have a vibrant mix of light industries in Hambantota and adjacent districts that manufacture goods for both domestic and international markets.”
Tissa Wickramasinghe, COO of HIPG says, “Part of the success of the development of industries in the south of Sri Lanka and creating an export market for it depends on the efficiency of the port.
And in this sector we have been constantly breaking our own records and raising the bar in terms of productivity and facilities we provide.
“Our recent ISO certification, which is an achievement for a port in the whole of South Asia, endorses our efficient systems and processes. Year by year, we will continue to build on our systems, helping to bolster the confidence of all who use the port.”
Hambantota Maritime Center is the port’s administrative building. It currently has tenants from different sectors, including the BOI. Most are from the Logistics and Commercial sectors while others include Travel Agents, Communication, Banking, Shipping, Government Institutes, Oil and Bunkering, Marine Services, Ship Building and Repairing, Engineering services, Manufacturing and Construction.
By Ifham Nizam
Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Matthew Duckworth described Omega Traders’ latest investment in a modern dhal-processing facility as a strong example of how cross-border supply chains can translate into productive investment, local value addition and new business opportunities in Sri Lanka.
The investment, which adds a 150-metric-tonne-per-eight-hour-day processing capacity to Omega Traders’ operations, marks a significant expansion of the company’s manufacturing footprint as it celebrates 45 years in Sri Lanka’s food commodity industry.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new Lentil and Orid Dhal Processing Factory in Wattala, last Friday, H.C. Duckworth said the facility represented more than an increase in production capacity, pointing to the wider economic value created when Australian agricultural production is connected with Sri Lankan processing and distribution.
‘This facility is not operating on its own. It is part of a long supply chain and a trade partnership between Sri Lanka and Australia, Duckworth said.
His comments placed the Omega Traders’ investment within a broader commercial context: Australia brings agricultural production and established export capabilities, while Sri Lanka provides processing capacity, labour, market access and opportunities for further value addition.
The investment comes as Sri Lanka continues to look towards greater domestic processing and value-added manufacturing rather than relying solely on the import and distribution of finished commodities.
Dr. (Mrs.) Siddhika G. Senaratne, Director General/CEO of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), who attended the inauguration as Guest of Honour, highlighted the importance of quality assurance in food processing and the role of standards in maintaining confidence across the supply chain.
The facility is equipped with new-generation cleaning, processing, sorting and quality-control machinery, including advanced colour-sorting technology, automated systems and an in-house quality-control laboratory.
The additional capacity will support Omega Traders’ three principal Mysoor Dhal brands — Rainbow Jumbo Dhal, Komas Dhal and Rozanna Dhal — which serve different segments of the Sri Lankan market.
But the investment also has a distinctly local agricultural dimension.
Through its Orid Dhal operation, Omega Traders plans to source locally grown black matpe from Sri Lankan farmers and process it at the new facility.
That creates a domestic value chain linking farmers to industrial processing and consumers, while potentially increasing demand for locally produced agricultural commodities.
Duckworth said this type of business partnership could generate benefits for both countries.
‘Australia produces some of the world’s best agricultural products and we are very efficient and very capable at trading them. But that alone is not going to bring success to Australia. Just as building a factory like this is not going to bring success to Sri Lanka, he said.
‘It’s when we bring these entities together that our products produced in Australia can be processed in excellence here in Sri Lanka that enables this to be a success, the H.C. explained.
The investment therefore combines two complementary supply streams: imported agricultural commodities, including Australian-origin products, and locally produced black matpe for the Orid Dhal operation.
For Sri Lanka, the business significance extends beyond Omega Traders itself. Increased processing capacity creates demand for logistics, packaging, distribution, services and agricultural inputs, while supporting employment within the food-processing ecosystem.
HR-led transformation places people, culture and business performance at the heart of the organisation
Ideal Motors (Pvt) Ltd,has achieved a significant milestone by securing multiple prestigious workplace and organisational culture accolades in 2026, reinforcing its position as an employer of choice in Sri Lanka’s automotive sector.
Among its latest achievements, Ideal Motors has been recognised as one of the 20 Great Workplaces for Young Talent in Sri Lanka 2026, ranked No. 1 and awarded the Gold Medal in the Small and Medium category of Best Workplaces™ in Sri Lanka 2026, and ranked No. 18 among Best Workplaces™ in Asia in the Medium Scale category—the highest-ranked Sri Lankan organisation in the category. The company also received Industry Excellence for Workplace Culture – Trading Industry.
The Young Talent recognition was presented at the Great Place To Work® CXO Forum 2026 held on 10 September 2026 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo. The recognition followed an evaluation of more than 100 certified organisations and highlights workplaces that create meaningful opportunities for employees under 35 to develop, contribute and grow.
At the Best Workplaces™ in Sri Lanka Awards Gala 2026, held on 11 September 2026 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, Ideal Motors achieved another historic milestone by entering the Best Workplaces Sri Lanka list for the first time and securing the No. 1 Gold Medal in the Small and Medium category. The company also achieved No. 18 in Best Workplaces™ in Asia, reflecting the strength of its workplace culture beyond Sri Lanka.
These achievements represent more than a collection of awards. They reflect the transformation taking place within Ideal Motors, where people, culture and business performance are increasingly viewed as interconnected drivers of sustainable growth.
Over the past few years, the organisation’s HR function has evolved from a predominantly administrative role into a strategic business partner, with greater emphasis on employee experience, capability development, engagement, performance, communication, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and data-driven HR practices.
The Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) conducted a seat belt safety awareness programme in front of its headquarters and along Galle Face Centre Road, encouraging motorists and passengers to make seat belt use a habit on every journey.
AAC staff, working alongside officers of the Sri Lanka Police Traffic Division, distributed specially designed hanging tags and stickers to drivers. The material carries a clear reminder that seat belts protect drivers as well as passengers in both the front and rear seats.
The public awareness drive was held ahead of the requirement taking effect on 20 September 2026, under which seat belt use becomes mandatory for every occupant of a vehicle travelling on an expressway.
AAC emphasized that the regulation should be understood as a life-saving measure rather than only a legal obligation. Wearing a seat belt can help prevent occupants from being thrown inside or from a vehicle during a collision and can lessen the severity of injuries.
The Association said road safety legislation must be supported by sustained public education, visible enforcement and responsible behaviour by all road users. The participation of the Traffic Police helped the campaign reach motorists directly in a busy part of central Colombo.
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