"Post tsunami reconstruction work is moving slowly" - SL business community: "Date : 2005-04-13, Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Colombo, 13 April, (ASiantribune.com): The local business community said that they have found the post-tsunami reconstruction work in Sri Lanka to be moving at a very slow pace, and has called for the setting up of co-ordination mechanisms at the provincial level to speed up the process.
Speaking to the “Asian Tribune,” Ex- Chairman of Joint Business Community - JBIZ , present Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of Commercial Bank of Sri Lanka Mahendra Amarasuriya said that international donors have shown an interest in re-constructing houses, assisting resettlements and supporting the tsunami victims in different ways. However, the responsible government authorities are still engaged in a tug- o-war, said Mr.Amarasuriya.
He said that the Lions Club International Federations have agreed to provide US Dollar seven million to all tsunami affected countries to help them provide shelters for the victims.
However, in Sri Lanka, the local Lions are still awaiting the release of necessary plots of land to build the houses.
"We want to set up village settlements in the Deep South as well as in the Northern and the Eastern parts of Sri Lanka. We signed a number of MOUs with the relevant authorities to begin the construction," said a dejected Amarasuriya.
He said if Sri Lanka delays the land allocations and provide required facilities, there is the danger of the funds being diverted to other affected countries, especially Indonesia, which was re-hit by the second tsunami.
He proposes that the government of Sri Lanka must attend to the post tsunami activities to start speedy construction activities.
At present, the local Lions and the International Lions have agreed to expand their re-settlement projects to minimize the housing problem among the tsunami victims.
- Asian Tribune - "
Colombo, 13 April, (ASiantribune.com): The local business community said that they have found the post-tsunami reconstruction work in Sri Lanka to be moving at a very slow pace, and has called for the setting up of co-ordination mechanisms at the provincial level to speed up the process.
Speaking to the “Asian Tribune,” Ex- Chairman of Joint Business Community - JBIZ , present Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of Commercial Bank of Sri Lanka Mahendra Amarasuriya said that international donors have shown an interest in re-constructing houses, assisting resettlements and supporting the tsunami victims in different ways. However, the responsible government authorities are still engaged in a tug- o-war, said Mr.Amarasuriya.
He said that the Lions Club International Federations have agreed to provide US Dollar seven million to all tsunami affected countries to help them provide shelters for the victims.
However, in Sri Lanka, the local Lions are still awaiting the release of necessary plots of land to build the houses.
"We want to set up village settlements in the Deep South as well as in the Northern and the Eastern parts of Sri Lanka. We signed a number of MOUs with the relevant authorities to begin the construction," said a dejected Amarasuriya.
He said if Sri Lanka delays the land allocations and provide required facilities, there is the danger of the funds being diverted to other affected countries, especially Indonesia, which was re-hit by the second tsunami.
He proposes that the government of Sri Lanka must attend to the post tsunami activities to start speedy construction activities.
At present, the local Lions and the International Lions have agreed to expand their re-settlement projects to minimize the housing problem among the tsunami victims.
- Asian Tribune - "
