The first industrial estate in post-conflict Sri Lanka, the Achchuveli Industrial Estate attracted 52 investors at yesterday’s (March 14) meeting chaired by Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Ministry Secretary Sivaghanasorthy at the public Library in Jaffna.

Over half of the investors were in the food and beverage sector with the others being in the industrial products categories of tyre manufacturing, aluminium based products, wood carving, soap manufacturing and cement based products.

The Head of National Portfolio Development for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for Sri Lanka, Rohantha Athukorala presented the master plan of the proposed design and development project. The project will be the first Green Industrial Zone in the country, said Athukorala and explained the overall designs of the water, electricity, sewerage treatment facilities together with the internal road layout.

Some of the key concerns of the prospective investors were if the project could be fast tracked from the current 14 months to around eight or nine months as many businesses want to start up quicker, said Poornachandran, Chairman of the Yalpanam Chamber.

The project is estimated to cost over two Rs.200 million in phase 1. The estate will be ready for occupation by March 2013.