At that time, the late 50’s Sri Lanka was much afraid of Singapore so this is one opportunity we lost. The second opportunity we lost is at the time of Hong Kong being handed back to mainland China. Unfortunately the decision makers over here did not take much notice nor did the respective organizations pay much attention and that’s an opportunity also lost. They went to Canada, they came to India, they came to Singapore, Malaysia. All these people who wanted to migrate and take their businesses ended up in our neighboring countries.

The third opportunity that we lost. In 1977, when the economy was liberalized, India was not so developed, the open economy, Pakistan and the SAARC countries. That time too, our decision-makers, and our people who were responsible to woo these investors here did not make much headway, they were quite satisfied with some of the industries that we got. We have a lot of talent in Sri Lanka, that is why today whatever the working class has gone abroad they are remitting over USD 3 billion to Sri Lanka. This itself is keeping us afloat with these high coal prices.

Thanks to the hard work of the Minister of Defence, we have peace. But still the traveler, has this problem of getting their travel advisories to reduce their premiums. Unfortunately, all those advisories have been lifted, the industry will not get benefited, but all these people have booked their travel in advance and we are only coming to the next season, the next season only, our hoteliers will be able to sell their hotel rooms here. One of our groups, the Aitken Spence Group, we should not be remembered as one sector and we tried to open up. This is what Mr. Mathi’s colleague said that we think global. We thought big and we went global that paid dividends. We went to India, we went to the Maldive Islands, we are looking at other areas and some sectors are being commissioned. They will be coming into production. We have a lot of entrepreneurs here. The Prime Minister spoke of all the difficulties he has faced and I’m sure most of the other entrepreneurs also face similar difficulties. I think it’s high time that you pick their brains and find out what they can give ir the advice to the government. We have here all the leaders who I think are contributing more than 50% to the national budget. And they are clever or they wouldn’t be here. And Mr Mathi won’t bring them to the Top 10. Now venerable thero has given some noble advice and we should be able to heed that advice and put it to implementation. I have been in close contact with him, we try to support him as much as possible, why? Because he is doing a service. Similarly the speakers who are here, I know most of the people when I look at their faces that they are encouraged and some of them have gone global. With the trading agreements as the Prime Minister has pointed out, we are in a favorable situation but unfortunately the three million, I do not know how much are doing exactly the work that they have to do.

I’m personally aware that there are obstacles that some of the entrepreneurs here are facing. If you take off these roadblocks, Mr. Prime Minister, I’m sure you can get much more foreign exchange. Even though oil goes to USD 100, it does not matter, for you will have enough money in the country to track with the VAT. With this mixed economy I don’t think that you can control minds. Look at the milk production. For the last 50-60 years we have neglected this. Today the consumer is completely dissatisfied. Look at the building industry. The prices has escalated. All our workers have gone out to other neighboring and gulf countries. We can refrain them. We can pay them more, provided that more entrepreneurs not only here, but even those who have invested abroad in so many other countries. In the late 50s and 60s the Middle East had no free trade zones, but today our free trade zones do not offer many incentives for the investors to come. Look at the other incentives that the other free trade zones are offering. We’d like to match or even offer better than our neighbors are offering. If you continue with the same stride, I don’t see your Excellency the Prime Minister that we can see the daylight. We have to think what the other countries are doing. Look at Vietnam. The people who started bombing Vietnam are today the biggest investors there. This was very recent. Analyze this. We have better job appeal. Within a few hours we can come here. To take even a factory in Nuwara Eliya, it takes only four to five hours if transportation is developed. We are still not able to do the infrastructure development, but I’m sure the entrepreneurs can tell the private sector this is your job. Recently I went with the President and his delegation to the Maldive islands.

I went with him in the 1970’s. He himself was surprised to see the development in Maldive islands. In one of the conferences and meetings we had, the Minister of Finance had said we are surrounded by seas but we could not use it to benefit the people of Maldive Islands – only 200,000 people. Today the second largest foreign exchange earner – in a matter of few years, making use of the surrounding sea. These are matters that one has to look into. These are areas in which one has to think big. You have to think big to become big. Unfortunately whatever the good work we do have negative publicity. Even the liberation of the north and east, we have developed business world changed. They know that the Sri Lankan army and the Sri Lankan forces, they can restore peace and then you will have this country flourish with lots of opportunities. Look at Libya. I returned recently from Libya is the second largest oil producer in the world. They are making as much as 20 million barrels everyday. Today, the President of Libya, Mr Gadaffi has opened up. Look at the country. It is such a large country with a large population and with a massive income. Why? So we have to take a lesson from this. With all the money they could not develop. Now they are going in for development. So these are areas, honorable ministers, honorable Prime Minister. Have a dialogue, with these gentlemen, get their ideas into your directory and find out what they have to say.

Look at my own company, 13 years ago it was only a government department and you could not make it into a corporation thinking, it will be better. We did not lose opportunities we took every catch given to us. Maybe one or two would have slipped, but never the less by and large we managed to get the less by and large we managed to get the good catched and it has paid dividends. This is an encouragement for new investors. Don’t have any sympathy or any sorrow in saying that we have this obstacle or we have this problem. We have to overcome these problems because without problems there will not be life. This is my advice and I am sure that next time I will not be the number one but make somebody else. Let me also thank my customers. If not for my customers and my staff and my colleagues who are here, I would not be able to attain this position. For the last seven or eight years, we have been with the Top 10, but it is they who brought me here. They who brought this company up to this position. The full mark, full glory, full pride and full blessings should go to them and I’m sure they will be inspired to do better in the coming years. Thank you very much for your attention.