Sunday, February 5, 2012

Foundation laid for Rs 700 M hotel project in Jaffna

Prime Minister D.M Jayaratne and the Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa laid the foundation Stone for Jetwing Yarl hotel in Jaffna on Friday.

The Rs 700 million project is a joint venture between Mercantile Merchant Bank Ltd, and the Jetwing Group. Jetwing Yarl hotel is to be constructed on a 46 perch land area on the Old Clock Tower Road, in Jaffna. The star class hotel will have 76 rooms, 14 storied, roof top swimming pool, Presidential Suite. According to the project estimation the construction work is to be completed within 18 months.

This hotel will create employment for youth in the area in addition to boosting income and business opportunities to the self-employed, micro enterprises and farmers.

Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, Governor of the Northern Province, Mr. Milinda Moragoda, Mr. Ruwan Samarasinghe, Managing Director, Jetwing Hotels and Ms. Shiromal Cooray, Managing Director of Jetwing Travels (Pvt) Limited also participated on this occasion. Pix by Chaminda Hittatiya

Source:http://www.news.lk/news/sri-lanka/1412-foundation-laid-for-rs-700-m-hotel-project-in-jaffna

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Colombo-Jaffna expressway construction to be launched

The launching of construction work on the Colombo-Jaffna Expressway is to commence parallel to the Deyata Kirula exhibition, government information department announced.
 
It is to be constructed along Puttalam, Nikawewa, Oyamaduwa, Mannar and Silawathura areas. 
 
Source:http://sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15479:-colombo-jaffna-expressway-construction-to-be-launched-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=547


Colombo-Jaffna expressway in the offing


 PUSHING INFRASTRUCTURE: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa seen with his wife Shiranthi in Galle, after completing a journey on the country's first expressway on Sunday. The toll highway linking capital Colombo with the southern city cost $700 million, with much of the money obtained from Japan and the Asian Development Bank. Photo: AFP

Soon after opening Sri Lanka's first expressway connecting the capital, Colombo, with the southern port city of Galle on Sunday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa began the spadework for the next major infrastructure project: An expressway linking Colombo with Tamil-dominated Jaffna. 
“I will work on the Jaffna expressway so that the distance can be covered in three hours,” said Mr. Rajapaksa. Jaffna is about 400 km from Colombo. The A-9 highway to Jaffna, which had not been re-topped in a few decades, is being repaired in stages. A one-way journey takes upwards of 10 hours by bus now. 

“The President is determined about it [the Colombo-Jaffna expressway],” said Director-General of Presidential Media Bandula Jayasekara. “He said the country needs more connectivity to bring people together,” he said. 

Eyeing foreign investments
Mr. Rajapaksa is pushing to get Sri Lanka infrastructure-ready so that foreign investments are not held back by shoddy transport and lack of facilities. Work is already on to build a second passenger terminal at the gateway to Sri Lanka, the Bandaranaike International Airport; a second international airport is coming up at Hambantota; and other smaller airports are being developed.
India, for instance, has helped rebuild the runway at the Palaly airport in Jaffna. The country's main airline, Sri Lankan, has begun operating air taxis to Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Bentota, Trincomallee and Arugam Bay. 

Recently revived
Besides, work on the Colombo port's second terminal is apace and India is working on the Kankesanthurai harbour, which is closest to the Tamil Nadu coast. Roads across the country are being re-laid and air-connectivity between Colombo and some world capitals have recently been revived.
In November the number of tourist arrivals crossed the 7.5-lakh target set for the year. 

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2667341.ece

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Jaffna gets a 15 storied Star Class hotel

The rapidly developing Northern Province following the defeat of terrorism has become a springboard for local and foreign investors seeking investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. Construction of a 70-room, 15 storied star class hotel in the heart of Jaffna will be launched tomorrow. Mercantile Merchant Bank Ltd, and the Jetwing Group through an equally-owned joint venture will invest Rs. 700 million on this hotel project.

Launching of the construction will be jointly officiated by Prime Minister D.M Jayaratne and the Minister of Economic Development Mr. Basil Rajapaksa.

The hotel named Yarl Jetwing will be constructed on a 50 perch land area on the Old Clock Tower Road, in Jaffna. Designed by Design Group 5, the hotel will have a roof top swimming pool and a Presidential Suite and the construction work is to be completed within 18 months.

The location of the hotel will be adjacent to Rs. 500 million new shopping and entertainment complex being built by Cargills (Ceylon) Plc.

The new Cargills shopping complex of 4 floors with a total floor area of 74,000 sq ft would comprise of retail/shopping space, a bank, a food court, a Cineplex with three cinema screens and a basement car park. The construction work of this complex is to be completed by mid-2013.

Meanwhile, the MMBL is also implementing several other eco tourism projects in Delft Island in partnership with several other companies.(niz)