Govt. to relax rules to attract multiple heavy industries to Trincomalee port

The Cabinet this week decided to relax the government policies on the Trincomalee Harbour to attract investors for multiple heavy industries at the port.

Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena on Monday sought the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to amend the existing policy of ‘one heavy industry to one harbour’, with the objective of attracting interested investors to inaugurate heavy industries in the Trincomalee Harbour.

The Government Information Department cited the ‘one heavy industry to one harbour’ policy as an obstacle ‘for implementing the finalised Trincomalee Harbour development plan, which aims to develop the harbour as the centre port in the region, given its ideal location to fast-growing economies of the Bay of Bengal.

“At present, it is the policy to implement only one heavy industry in a specific field in one harbour. It has been recognised that it is appropriate to make available opportunities to investors for establishing industries without special restrictions for the sake of the development of the harbour,” it elaborated.