PPP

May 06, 2013 (LBO) –Sri Lanka is seeking private investments to build an expressway and port related services as the government gears to develop the next raft of infrastructure projects, officials said. "Public private partnership, is high on the government’s agenda," Ranjith Pemasiri, Ports and highways ministry secretary told a ports and logistics forum in Colombo organized by Seatrade, a consultancy and the state ports agency.

High among the list is a proposed northern expressway that links the capital of Colombo to the northern peninsular.

Pemasiri said the feasibility study is now in progress to develop the highway that will run through Kandy, and also link up through Kurunegala to take motorist to Trincomalee in the east.

It will cost about two billion dollars and the government plans to build a section of the road on a public-private basis, on a BOT (build own and transfer) basis,” Pemasiri said.

The private sector has been largely shut out in the post-war development boom where different agencies of the government have struck partnership directly with foreign governments or firms.

I think the government has done enough, now it’s the private sector’s turn,"