Addressing BOI officials after an observation tour of Export Promotional Zones at Katunayake, Biyagama and Avissawella recently, the Minister said: "Our objective is to attract 5,000 investors to these zones and create a million job opportunities for the country’s youth.

"During the past decade, not many investors came forward to invest in Sri Lanka due to red tape and irregular practices. There were some in power at the time who demanded undue favors from investors. Many left the country in disgust.

"Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is a visionary leader. His mission is to develop the country and make it economically stable. The government’s plan is to establish separate manufacturing plants for consumer goods and technological products.

"Trincomalee and Vanni Kilinochchi have been especially earmarked for the manufacturing of goods, while Colombo will be a maritime, aviation and financial services hub. Kandy, Galle and Jaffna have been identified as centres for IT and other technological industries. There will also be a hub for gems and jewellery, exports and so forth.

"There will also be 23 specialized agri-zones which will be for rice, rubber, tea, coconut, fruit, animal husbandry and other export-oriented products such as flowers. Two specialized zones will be created in the Mahaweli zones as well. One will be on the right bank of Mahaweli System B, which will have 800 hectares and the other, 12,000 hectares in System A.

"There will be separate manufacturing units for lorries and buses, motor cars, motor cycles and other products within this category".

Minister Senasinghe also visited several factories, observed the production processes and inquired about the problems and difficulties the investors faced