News
ILO spearheads investment drive in the North
Representatives of 14 leading private sector companies recently visited the Northern Province to explore possibilities for investment. The International Labour Organization (ILO) together with the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) has organized the visit.
According to a statement issued by ILO Office in Colombo, the visiting group explored strategic investment, trade, and growth opportunities in key sectors in the Northern Province.
Among the key objectives of the visit were to showcase the investment potential of the Northern Province, foster dialogue, and collaboration among key stakeholders, and facilitate partnerships that benefit both businesses and communities.
The Northern Province was opened for investment in 2009 after the military eradicated the LTTE.
The ILO said that in addition to engagement with Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Ledchumanan Ilaangovan, there had been stakeholder consultations to provide an analysis of the opportunities and the policy and regulatory landscape for doing business in the North. The delegation also visited the Achchuveli Industrial Estate for a networking event with entrepreneurs and business associations as well as consultations with key sectoral actors including government organizations and regional chambers.
Appreciating the efforts to promote inclusive and investment driven growth in the region, Chief Secretary Ilaangovan, said, “Looking ahead, let’s unite to transform aspirations into actions, we welcome and support the delegation promoting investment opportunities and looking forward to working with them.”
The ILO said: “With the northern region experiencing a surge in opportunities across multiple sectors, infrastructure investments have increased, and domestic and export market focused agriculture and fisheries, as well as aquaculture hold immense potential for growth and development. Moreover, interventions under the PAVE project further emphasizes inclusivity and gender equality, ensuring that the benefits of growth are equitably shared among all members of the community, thereby fostering a more sustainable and just economic development.”
In the current context of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, the government and other ecosystem players, including private sector entities, have a crucial role in catalysing provincial and regional growth. Commenting on the success of the visit, Director General/Chief Executive Officer of EFC, Vajira Ellepola said ‘’The EFC, as the national employer organization, has been instrumental in creating interest within the private sector, leading up to this site visit of a business delegation to explore investment opportunities in the North. Enterprise development, job creation, diversity and inclusion are some of the core values the EFC stands to promote. The objectives of ILO interventions, which align closely with these values and their overall relevance to Sri Lanka’s commitment towards Sustainable Development Goals and a national policy focused on domestic production, were the driving force of our collaboration in this Project.”
The visit was implemented as part of the ILO “Promoting Advancement of Vulnerable Persons and Enterprises” (PAVE) project interventions, funded by the Government of Norway. The PAVE project is among ILO’s responses toward creating decent work opportunities to support inclusive growth and reconciliation in post conflict districts. The project prioritizes creating decent work opportunities for the most vulnerable, and marginalized women and men in the province, by advancing inclusive growth, private sector investment, entrepreneurship, gender equality and inclusion, and digitalization.
Thomas Kring, Chief Technical Advisor, ILO said “Scaling private sector investments in the northern province not only makes business sense, it also strengthens human capital, and benefits disadvantaged communities with stable sources of income – it’s a win-win propositions that create employment for vulnerable women and persons with disabilities helping crisis recovery and reconciliation.”
Providing delegates with an enhanced understanding of the investment climate and landscape in the Northern Province, this visit laid the groundwork for future collaborations between the private sector and local authorities. The next steps will involve the development of investment plans to promote sustainable economic growth in the region at large.
Latest News
G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will resume on 12th January 2026
The Ministry of Education has announced that the .postponed subjects of the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will be conducted from 12 – 20 January 2026,
News
The aim of the Government is to ensure a safe life for every citizen -President
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed that the aim of the Government is to ensure a safe life for every citizen and that it is everyone’s responsibility to act with proper supervision during the resettlement of the people.
The President instructed the relevant sectors to complete all necessary repairs before 31 December by utilising the allocations given by the Government for infrastructure development for this year and not to return any part of those allocations under any circumstances.
The President said that there is no shortage of funds required for relief to the people and for restoring normal life and that what is necessary in this emergency situation is for all institutions to fulfil their responsibilities through proper coordination without limitations.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks while participating on Monday (08) afternoon at the District Coordinating Committee meeting held at the Uva Province Library Auditoriam to review the programme being carried out to restore normalcy in the lives of the affected people in the Badulla District and to develop essential infrastructure. Due to the disaster situation, 64,140 individuals belonging to 19,133 families in the Badulla District have been affected. A total of 418 houses have been completely damaged and 7,703 houses have been partially damaged.
The President inquired separately into the programmes being carried out to restore essential infrastructure such as repairing damaged roads, electricity, water supply, communication, irrigation, restarting agriculture, the livestock sector, inland fisheries and restoring the health and education sectors, among others.
The President pointed out the need to carry out all road repairs simultaneously without dividing them as roads under the Road Development Authority, provincial roads, or local authority roads. He informed officials that if the funds allocated for this purpose are insufficient, they should request the required additional allocations.
The President also instructed that an estimate be prepared and submitted for all roads in the district requiring permanent repairs and noted that funds can be provided to commence this work by January.
Officials stated that, 90% of the district’s damaged electricity supply due to the disaster situation has already been restored and the remaining supply is also being restored swiftly. They further pointed out that steps have been taken to ensure the district’s water supply is provided as required.
The reopening of schools was also discussed and the President instructed that the Government’s allowance of Rs. 15,000 granted to affected schoolchildren be paid promptly through the intervention of Divisional Secretaries.
Due to the disaster situation, 6,711 acres of agricultural land in the Badulla District have been damaged. The President instructed that the relevant farmers and the extent of damaged land be identified, compensation be provided swiftly and they be directed back into cultivation.
He further instructed officials of the Irrigation Department to provide water to agricultural lands at least temporarily, so that the farmers will be able to harvest the Maha season. The President stated that the allowance of Rs. 25,000 provided for the cleansing and restoration of damaged temples and religious sites will be granted through the Department of Cultural Affairs and that a Cabinet decision regarding this matter is expected this week.
Lengthy discussions were held on providing compensation to destroyed and damaged houses and on the resettlement of the affected people. The President also highlighted the need to implement programmes aimed at improving the mental health of people living in camps.
President Dissanayake expressed his gratitude to the Tri-forces, Government officials and the public who are working with immense dedication in all these activities.
Participating in this occasion were the Chairman of the Badulla District Coordinating Committee and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Infrastructure, Samantha Vidyaratne; Chairman of the Badulla District Coordinating Committee and Governor of Uva Province, Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara; Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security, R. M. Jayawardena; Deputy Minister of Power and Energy, Arkam Iliyas; Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, H. M. Dinindu Sampath Hennayake; Deputy Minister of Tourism, Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe; Members of Parliament Sarath Kumara, Ravindra Bandara, Sudath Balagalla, Kittnan Selvaraj, Ambika Samuel, Ajantha Gammaddege and Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, along with other ruling and opposition MPs; Chief Secretary of Uva Province, Ms. Anusha Gokula and representatives of Provincial Councils; Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, together with senior officials of the Ministry of Finance; Badulla District Secretary Panduka Sri Prabath Abeywardena and other Government officials of the district, as well as representatives of the security services
Latest News
Death toll 635 as at 06:00 AM today [09]
The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center at 06:00 AM today [09th December] confirms that 635 persons have died due to floods and landslides that took place in the country within the past two weeks. The number of persons that are missing is 192.

-
News7 days ago
Lunuwila tragedy not caused by those videoing Bell 212: SLAF
-
News2 days agoOver 35,000 drug offenders nabbed in 36 days
-
News5 days agoLevel III landslide early warning continue to be in force in the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Matale
-
Business4 days agoLOLC Finance Factoring powers business growth
-
News4 days agoCPC delegation meets JVP for talks on disaster response
-
News4 days agoA 6th Year Accolade: The Eternal Opulence of My Fair Lady
-
News2 days agoRising water level in Malwathu Oya triggers alert in Thanthirimale
-
Midweek Review7 days agoHouse erupts over Met Chief’s 12 Nov unheeded warning about cyclone Ditwah
