Tender for fourth LNG power plant to open next week: PM

The government will next week call for tenders seeking a suitable investor for the fourth Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) power plant, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today.

The Prime Minister made this statement at the FACETS Sri Lanka 2017 gem and jewellery exhibition in Colombo.

“Sri Lanka is now holding discussions with India and Japan to construct two LNG power plants and also discussing with China to have one LNG power station in Hambantota. When did Sri Lanka go into constructing three LNG power stations parallelly?. The government will also open tenders to select a suitable investor for the fourth LNG power plant. Sri Lanka will be able to start constructing four such power plants together if the tender procedure becomes a success,” the premier said.

“Sri Lanka cannot remain a low income or a middle income nation. It is a shame to be on the same income level every day. Sri Lanka will have to become a high income generating country. The two main parties came together to build a strong economy. We have to lay the foundation to build such a strong economy and see that it is achieved,” he added.

The Premier said the government was able to release itself from the debt it fell into as a result of the Hambantota Port project.

“We will do the same with Mattala Airport. Debts have to be paid during our life time. We took over an economy which was hampered by borrowings and an economy which did not have foreign investments. I have been told that foreign investments have grown by 300 per cent today compared to 2014. Investments are coming from China, Japan and India,” he also said.

He said some investors want to have a gem and jewellery industrial zone in Hambantota and there are others who want it in Katunayake or Kurunegala. “We will have to further discuss and decide on it,” he said.  (Yohan Perera)