The Government is preparing to see through a systematic 10 year development plan for the Trincomalee Port, which has been prepared by the Singaporean company Surbana Jurong, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday (8).

According to him, the 10-year initiative aimed at boosting agriculture and tourism sectors in the Eastern Province, with a particular focus on the development of the Trincomalee District.

Attending the 149th anniversary celebration of Chenkalady Central College in Batticaloa, Wickremesinghe highlighted plans to harness the untapped potential of the Mahaweli A and B zones in the Batticaloa District, previously overlooked by Mahaweli projects, and said that a comprehensive tourism strategy spanning from Nilaweli to Panama was set to be implemented.

"Today, a new vision emerges as we plan to transform Trincomalee into a thriving city, in collaboration with India, tapping into mineral resources and creating a bustling trade hub. In Katunayake, Biyagama, there exists a 400-acre investment zone, but Trincomalee has set its sights on establishing an expansive 1,000-acre investment zone. A systematic development plan for the Trincomalee Port has been prepared by a Singaporean company Surbana Jurong and we are determined to see it through." he said.

According to the Presidential Media Unit, Wickremesinghe said that the proposed endeavour would transform Trincomalee into a major city and a robust economic hub. Concurrently, we recognise the importance of agricultural development. Adding that the Province has achieved self-sufficiency in rice production and that the Government was actively working to diversify our crop portfolio, he said that the increasing of liquid milk production through the introduction of new livestock management practices with the support of local and international firms was also on the horizon.