• Deputy Min. notes 1,000-plus pending requests from local/foreign investors with Mahaweli Authority, approx. 1K with LRC 
• Mahaweli Authority, LRC, Land CG’s Dept., and Industries/Fin./Sci-Tech Mins. to collaborate  

Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation, Dr. Susil Ranasinghe said that the relevant stakeholders would come together and develop a programme to expedite the release of lands for industrial purposes as a solution to the backlog of requests from both local and foreign investors.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, he said that there is a problem with the current system of releasing lands for industrial purposes. For example, he said that the Mahaweli Authority’s Business Development Unit has 1,047 pending requests for land from both local and foreign investors, and that the Land Reforms Commission (LRC) has nearly 100 similar cases.

"When allocating land, the authorities must consider factors such as the applicant’s technological capabilities and financial standing. While institutions such as the Mahaweli Authority and the LRC have the authority to release land, other aspects require further evaluation. That is why coordination among all relevant institutions is essential," he said. 

Noting that there is a need to respond to these requests quickly, Dr. Ranasinghe said that he had already discussed this with the relevant authorities. "All key institutions such as the Mahaweli Authority, the LRC, the Land Commissioner General’s (CG) Department, and the Ministries of Industries, Finance, and Science and Technology will work together to speed up this process." 

He further said that in order to repay the country’s debt, Sri Lanka must accelerate economic growth, and that one way to do so is by facilitating small- and medium-scale projects. As many of these projects require lands, he said that streamlining the approval process would provide a significant boost to the economy.