(Lanka-e-News -03.Jan.2017, 8.45PM) One of the promises made by Prime Minister (P.M.) Ranil Wickremesinghe after the good governance government was installed in power was honored the launching of the world famous Volkswagen vehicle (assembling) Co. at Mahanugawatte , Labuyaya , Kuliyapitiya , Kurunegala district for which the foundation stone was laid on the 3 rd .
The president and the P.M. headed the ceremonial launching..
This venture under the name of Western Automobile Assembly Pvt. Ltd., is being launched by two companies , the Volkswagen Co . in collaboration with Senok Co. of Sri Lanka . A sum of US dollars 26.5 million is the initial investment . A training Institute will also be commenced at this venue simultaneously with the inauguration of the factory to provide quick training . The trainees after the completion of training will be absorbed by the Volkswagen factory. 3000 direct job opportunities , and 10,000 indirect job opportunities are expected to be generated through this venture.
This is the first time an European vehicle assembling Co . is being launched in Sri Lanka . 1000 c.c ; 2000 c.c passenger vehicles ; vehicles meant for sports ;multi purpose vehicles and commercial vehicles are to be produced at this factory , reports say .
Though investment and technology are foreign , undoubtedly it marked the opening of a new chapter in the history of SL on the 3 rd.
In fact , European Companies with assembling factories arrived in Asia about 20 to 25 years ago. Unfortunately at that time , Prabhakaran was bombing planes in the north of SL ,and Central bank in Colombo too was bombed .In the South too , Wijeweera was setting fire to factories , newspaper Institutions and even killing the newspaper vendors ; and causing transformer explosions. Consequently , foreign investors who saw SL going up in smoke started turning in the direction of India and Malaysia for their investments. Thereafter , the Medamulana Rajapakses who became a byword for corruption, murder and criminalities took over the reign . That was the infamous era of extortion ranging from 30 to 40 % . The genuine foreign investors of course did not come in when such high extortion sums were demanded from them . Only racketeers and wheeler dealers started coming in to plunder the country jointly with the Rajapakses and their cronies.
It is significant to note , it is after the moribund , murderous , corrupt Medamulana Rajapakses who were robbing the country wholesale while parading as great ‘patriots’ and criticizing the international community were thrown out lock , stock and barrel by the pro good governance masses on 8 th January 2015 , the avenues opened for colossal foreign investments. This welcome change is the outcome of the welcome change of government.
During a period when there is no war , if sabotage activities like bogus strikes and protests are halted ; the corrupt are duly punished ; robbing public funds is stopped ; sovereignty of the rule of law is recognized ; laws are enforced duly against all equally ; and the rulers discharge their tasks duly with commitment to carry on good governance , without doubt other foreign investors too will be attracted .
In a country where natural disasters are less and every day of the year sun is shining, where intelligent youths are showing a flair for the English language , and the country is free from dangerous epidemics , the foreign investors naturally show an anxiety to invest .
For a small Island like Sri Lanka which is lacking in latest technological knowledge and the financial resources , the only avenue open for its progress and advancement is bringing in foreign technology and investment . But that does not happen spontaneously . We have to make certain sacrifices mainly in relation to lands , tax reliefs and energy subsidy .By creating awareness among the public in this regard , the opposition , if any that is mounted can be minimized, otherwise the uneducated sections of society of SL will as usual resist such new measures. The best illustration is , during the British rule when the small pox vaccine was to be administered to all the SL citizens , the uneducated citizens raised objections to that decision.
Then and even thereafter , morons cast in the mould of uneducated Weerawansa were creating trouble and trauma in the country . They aroused the people saying , ‘the Suddha (Britishers) are trying to fool us. Don’t leave room for that’ citing the reason that an indelible scar remains after the vaccination .The ignorant Sri Lankans fled into the jungles. Finally they died after contracting the disease.
In fact a new page of that foolhardiness is on display now in Hambantota area.
In the circumstances , it is incumbent on the rulers and their inescapable duty to educate the public duly on whatever new that are being introduced which are a boon to the country.
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by (2017-01-03 15:20:20)
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Lying E news ! Its not a volkswagen plant
-- by Factcheck on 2017-01-04
Good news.thank you Germany and Angela Merkal
-- by Nimal on 2017-01-04