{"id":89292,"date":"2019-05-24T15:54:03","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T22:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=89292"},"modified":"2019-05-24T15:54:32","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T22:54:32","slug":"we-cannot-go-forward-if-we-try-to-block-every-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/05\/24\/we-cannot-go-forward-if-we-try-to-block-every-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"We cannot go forward if we  try to block every industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong>Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Alleged Money Launderer Lokuwithana Back: This Time With Plans\nFor Ecologically Damaging Steel Plant In Trincomalee<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-colombo-telegraph\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"clHoDB2r9m\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/alleged-money-launderer-lokuwithana-back-this-time-with-plans-for-ecologically-damaging-steel-plant-in-trincomalee\/\">Alleged Money Launderer Lokuwithana Back: This Time With Plans For Ecologically Damaging Steel Plant In Trincomalee<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Alleged Money Launderer Lokuwithana Back: This Time With Plans For Ecologically Damaging Steel Plant In Trincomalee&#8221; &#8212; Colombo Telegraph\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/alleged-money-launderer-lokuwithana-back-this-time-with-plans-for-ecologically-damaging-steel-plant-in-trincomalee\/embed\/#?secret=clHoDB2r9m\" data-secret=\"clHoDB2r9m\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When I read the article above &nbsp;published by Colombo Telegraph which is ,a\nwebsite ready to criticize any development in Sri Lanka ,I recall an article\npublished by me&nbsp; in Lankaweb in Jan 2017\n(illustrated below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\nmyself as an investor has been pushing for many such projects, and the\npussyfoot attitude by some bureaucrats and corrupt politicians who have not\nbeen supportive has hampered the progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether\nit is a tyre factory, or a steel mill, we should look at it positively and find\navenues, to mitigate any possible environment damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For an\nexample .experts should look at whether iron Ore brought to Sri Lanka will be\nunloaded direct from the bulk carrier or will the investor use any lightering\nvessels to transport ore from large bulk carriers anchored in the deep harbour\nwhich can cause spill and dust<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;( we have similar problem with the coal\noperation in Norrocholai) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\ntype of fuel they will use for melting raw material ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Electricity will not be possible due inadequate\npower available in Sri Lanka .I proposed to install a parallel LNG powered\nPower plant in parallel to provide power \/fuel for the steel melting plant and\ngive excess power &nbsp;to the grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the\nsteel is sourced by scrapping large vessels, one should look at how the ships\nwhich will be scrapped are beached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will\nit be on to solid ground during high tide like in Indian State of Gujarat where\nat high tide they force beach the ships before commencement of &nbsp;cutting .It cannot be done in Trinco due to\nlow difference in high and low tides in Sri Lanka .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a\nshipbuilder ,I whole heartedly support these type of ventures whether the funds\ncome by money launderers who are being accused of pilfering national wealth\nfrom our&nbsp; country or from genuine sources\nas long as it gives a return to the country .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/\">MAY 24, 2019<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/\">AUTHOR: COLOMBO TELEGRAPH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ecologically-Damaging Steel Plant: BOI Responds To Allegations\nBut Pussyfoots Around Grave Risks And Lokuwithana\u2019s Involvement<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-lankaweb-com\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"1wS2OvoVkM\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2017\/01\/31\/who-is-not-helping-business-tycoon-nandana-lokuwithana\/\">Who is\u00a0 ( NOT) helping business tycoon Nandana Lokuwithana?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Who is\u00a0 ( NOT) helping business tycoon Nandana Lokuwithana?&#8221; &#8212; LankaWeb.com\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2017\/01\/31\/who-is-not-helping-business-tycoon-nandana-lokuwithana\/embed\/#?secret=pcGnd7XApU#?secret=1wS2OvoVkM\" data-secret=\"1wS2OvoVkM\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is&nbsp; ( NOT)\nhelping business tycoon Nandana Lokuwithana?<\/strong><br>\nPosted on January 31st, 2017<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Dr\nSarath Obeysekera<\/em><\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes\nback I was invited by Nandana Lokuwithana to discuss the possibility of setting\nup a ship breaking yard, using Turkish technology to minimize &nbsp;environment\npollution. With some political backing he flew over Trinco to select an area\nwithin the harbour ,where we were discussing how to &nbsp;place a floating dock\non to which old ships can be hauled in and broken up.I even suggested that we\nshould install a floating LNG plant and use the gasified LNG to run generator\nto supply power to CEB and use part of LNG to melt the steel .His plan was to\ntransport steel &nbsp;billets to Oruwala by train.This was an ideal project and\nhe was willing to find investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People\nsay that he is from Rural Pollonaruwa and went to Dubai to do a small job, and\nlater acquired some means to buy off the Steel Mill owned by Koreans who were\nnot running it well.Whether it is his own money or he was acting as proxy,his\nideas were brilliant and sustainable .Some people stash the money in many other\ncountries like Switzerland or Panama ,but the money is coming back to our\ncountry ,Hence the claim that he was using someone else\u2019s money&nbsp; is Sri\nLanka is better than buying Yachts in Monaco and buy properties in US or South\nof France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\nis such a stupidity to stop the tyre industry in Horana where rubber is\navailabe,which he intends to start with his own investment and putting a fork\nto his drive wheel&nbsp; by shortsighted politicians who may be wanting a small\ncut from the investment .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nclaim that land was given at 100 Rs per acre may be only way he could justify\nthe investment. If you try to get state valuation for a land which is abandoned\n, for a use which can derive tangible and intangible benefits ,why not ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even\nLee Kwan Yew, father of modern Singapore did the same thing .Land was almost\ngiven free, so that he could entice them to invest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri\nLanka can never grow with such attitudes, We have to be more forward looking if\nwe need to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr\nSarath Obeysekera<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr Sarath Obeysekera Alleged Money Launderer Lokuwithana Back: This Time With Plans For Ecologically Damaging Steel Plant In Trincomalee When I read the article above &nbsp;published by Colombo Telegraph which is ,a website ready to criticize any development in Sri Lanka ,I recall an article published by me&nbsp; in Lankaweb in Jan 2017 (illustrated below). [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sarath-obeysekera"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89292\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}