The city grows from the sea, on reclaimed land

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) expects the Colombo port to contribute 40 percent to the national development within 10 years, when the port accommodates 12.5 million containers per year. The current contribution of the port to national development is below 10 per cent.

Chairman of SLPA, Dr. Priyath B. Wickrema, said the ongoing port expansion project would cater to the increasing demands for services in the international shipping industry and benefit the country’s economy.

"The growth rate of the Colombo port is increasing rapidly. We are maintaining a 25 per cent controlled growth rate because of its current capacity reaching to its fullest," Dr. Wickrema said adding that it is the reason to expand the Colombo Port.

Everyone who is evincing interest  these days on the Sri Lankan war crimes is  talking about the outcome of the discussions held between the new Minister of External Affairs of Sri Lanka, Dr.  G. L. Peiris and the US State Secretary Hillary Clinton. Prior to Dr. Peiris’ tour of the US , not only  Hillary Clinton , but the US Congress and the State Dept. took a very tough stand against Sri Lanka regarding  the war crime charges .Even the US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Susan Rice was of the view that an international investigation shall be instituted on the Sri Lanka ’s war crimes. But after Dr. Peiris’ tour of America the whole scenario has apparently  changed.. Some believe that Dr. Peiris has led Hillary by the nose. This conviction does seem  out of place when seen against the backdrop of the sudden change of attitude of America following  Dr. Peiris’ recent   visit , after US having for over a year been most  vociferous about the SL war crimes.

Sri Lanka will take over the chairmanship of the Group of 15 from Iran next month at a two-day G 15 summit in Teheran beginning May 17.

A high-level delegation led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the summit, where he is scheduled to meet Iranian President Ahamadinejad on the sidelines of the meeting for bilateral talks aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.

The G 15, which was established in 1989 as a community of the most successful Third World countries comprises 17 countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Sri Lanka's leaders have hailed the end of the island's long civil war as the start of a new era, but for soldiers injured in battle, the future is far from rosy.
In a hospital outside the capital Colombo, Manju Lakshman, 32, lies on a bed staring at the ceiling.

He was shot in the spine by Tamil Tiger rebels one year ago in the last weeks of fighting in the northeast of Sri Lanka as the military offensive reached its climax along the coastal Mullaittivu district.

There are 7,620 candidates contesting in the fray from 36 recognised political parties and 301 independent groups. There are 14,088,500 eligible voters, which is an increase from the 12,899,139 voters at the April 2004  Parliamentary Elections.

The Elections Commissioner’s Department has made arrangements for today’s General elections. The country will elect 196 members to the 225-seat Parliament with the balance selected from the National List.

There are 7,620 candidates contesting the Elections from 36 recognised political parties and 301 independent groups. There are 14,088,500 eligible voters, which is an increase from the 12,899,139 voters at the April 2004 Parliamentary Elections.

Treasury Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundera says the message of increasing productivity is not limited to the public sector alone and that the private sector too needs to raise productivity if inflation and the rising cost of living are to be contained.

He said exporters and importers should plan for an appreciation of the rupee as well and exporters could cope only through productivity improvements.

Low productivity of the public sector has been a concern for several years while the private sector was seen as the engine of growth with high productivity standards.