Dr. Priyath B. Wickrema, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority said, “We have selected 15 investors out of 23 investors whom we short listed”.

According to Wickrema, the process of approving the projects will start by end this month and all investment projects will be approved by mid next month.

Among the earmarked investments ranks, a cement manufacturing plant, a sugar manufacturing plant and a fertilizer plant.

The cement manufacturer will come from Pakistan while the sugar manufacturer will come from India.

Automobile and a glass manufacturing projects are also among the expected investments coming in to the zone which is spread across 500 acres.

All investors will have to start manufacturing within a maximum of 18 months, since the day the project receives approval.

Hambantota port which commenced operations during November 2010 is yet to see a commercial ship arriving at the port.

Wickrema is confident that ships will start coming very soon, when the Industrial Zone commence its work.

First phase of the southern port saw an investment of US$ 550 million, reported News360.lk.