Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Open letter to the Prime Minister .

Opening ceremony of the Boat Show to be held in October 2016 has been held yesterday in the Cineman Grand Hotel .

Boat Show is organized by the BTTI-Boat Building Technology Institute  which is the brain child of a prominent boar builder who has dome a yeoman service to this Industry –Mr Neil Fernando  .

Ministers involved in development and Investment should HAVE  attended the ceremony, but the only minister who understand  was the value of developing the business ,Hon Minister of Fisheries Mahinda Amaraweera . ( many ministers were invited )

Ministers heading Industry ,Investment ,Strategic development who should be leading the development of boat building Industry may  have considered that this Industry does not need their support

Private sector is struggling to survive as the government is not giving any support what so ever to help the Industry due to ignorance.

This industry can bring much benefit to the country by way of exporting assembled, manufactured  yachts ,fishing boats and other vessels ,and yet the decision makers have to understand  the importance and potential of developing the same by providing relied in taxes and cutting bureaucratic approvals processes to establish boat building yards  .

I myself as an investor is struggling to get a simple approval to commence a Boat Building Yard in Galle where many organization listed below have become stumbling blocks to start the project

One agency wants to pass the buck to other agency and I have met many ministers to get a kick start the fishy Business !

It is over many months and I have still at sailing off point to commence the yard

I have written numerous articles and letters  about the need to have a centralised coordination committee to gather all agencies such as ,CEA ,CCD ,MEEPA ,UDA ,METROPLIS ,FISHERY MINTSRY ,CUSTOMS .SLPA,NAVY  and LOCAL AOUTHOTITIES and manage the approvals to start new boat building projects right around the island .

You will be really surprised that this industry is still governed by Wild LIFE Laws in Sri Lanka ,which has nothing to with ocean of fishing Industry !!!!!!

Therefore  my plight has been like playing celo /violin to a deaf elephant !,—- I mean the real elephant but not the elephants who govern the country !

Budget proposal were put forward in 2016  and if the finance  minister can tell us what incentives have been given to the boat  builders to develop the same , I will cut by most  critical organs” ( many politicians have promised to cut the bellies and throats hence there is no much left to cut!) to prove that I am right .

Ministers have memories like fish  ..You know what I mean

Dr Sarath Obeysekera