By Franklin. R. Satyapalan in Trincomalee
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday stressed the need to hold wide ranging consultations with all concerned and the building of a consensus on the development of the Trincomalee District when he addressed a large gathering after ceremonially opening the new M.H.M. Ashraff alongside berth built at a cost of Rs.1.4 billion at Burma Camp in China Bay.

The new facility enables berthing for two 40,000 dwt vessels. The Prime Minister noted that the completion of this development had enhanced facilities at the Trincomalee Harbour to handle larger vessels calling at one of the world’s finest natural harbours.

"Today Trincomalee has been upgraded to meet the needs of any good commercial port in the region,’’ Wickremesinghe said.

He said that the late SLMC leader M.H.M. Ashraff who was keen on developing the Eastern Province had the vision to construct this facility which would further tap the potential of the Trincomalee port for the benefit of the province and the country. It was therefore appropriate that the berth should carry Mr. Ashraff’s name.

We can be proud of the fact that SLPA engineers and workers undertook construction of the berth and I would congratulate each and every one responsible for a job well done. He would also specially thank SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem who followed in the footsteps of his late leader and completed the project which was a milestone for the development of the Trincomalee District, the PM said.

Mr. Narayan Murthy, the Chairman of Infosys of India, one of the world’s biggest information technology firms who has been described as the Bill Gates of Asia was a special guest at the ceremony. The prime minister welcoming Murthy said he was happy that the Indian visitor was joining hands in this development of Trincomalee.

In the past the Eastern, Northern and North Central or Raja Rata areas had two major ports, one at Manthai (Mannar) and the other at Trincomalee. It was the government’s aim to develop the Northeast, North Central and Dambulla areas by making the Trincomalee port a strategic facility providing a central shipping zone for this wide area.

Just as much as the East had to be developed by developing the major port in the area, it was the government’s vision to develop the country by improving all ports in Sri Lanka. In this context, he was happy that Minister Hakeem was acting to develop and reconstruct the Kankesanturai harbour in the North as this would be a vital facility necessary for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of that war-torn area.

The Canadian government was funding a feasibility study on the development of the Hambantota port which will be a major factor in developing the South. The development of the Galle port too would soon be accelerated and the authorities were in the process of further developing the Port of Colombo.

"If we do not develop all our ports quickly, we will continue to remain like frogs in a well,’’ the Prime Minister said.

Minister Hakeem said that it was significant that the Ashraff Quay is the first commercial port facility for large ocean going vessels in Trincomalee. Although the Trincomalee was one of the world’s best natural harbours it did not previously have facilities to service the larger vessels.

What they envisaged with all development work that has been done was to make the whole Eastern Province a centre of attraction for investors so that the displaced people who will be returning will have economic opportunities.

"We cannot forget that 45,000 of the 75,000 families in the Trincomalee District depended on food stamps indicating the level of poverty in a district endowed with abundant natural resources and a beautiful harbour,’’ Hakeem said.

The Trincomalee port has a lot of potential to become a hub port and the district, endowed with many tourist attractions, which is served by no less than nine river basins and over sixty minor irrigation tanks. This also clothed it with vast agricultural potential. But As much as 50% of the available land suitable for paddy cultivation remained fallow.When the late Mr. Ashraff broke ground for the new berth in November 1999, they envisioned the situation where the development of Trincomalee will contribute to the harmony among all the people of the East.

The minister expressed confidence that the Ashraff Quay will attract investors and said that he anticipated rapid development from now on with investors making great demands on port activities.

"I am confident that the Ashraff Quay will set the pace for the economic development of the East as well as the dawn of peace in the country,’’ the minister said.