The current government is demonstrating greater commitment and concern for the Northern Province than any of the governments that have come to power in the 16 years since the end of the war. Never before has such attention been given to the development of the Northern Province and the improvement of the people’s standard of living,” said Hon. N. Vethanayagan, Governor of the Northern Province.
A special meeting was held on Monday evening (26 January 2026) at the Governor’s Secretariat in Jaffna between Her Excellency Isabel Martin, High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka and the Maldives—who is currently visiting the Northern Province—and a delegation led by the Governor of the Northern Province.
Speaking at the meeting, the Governor made the following remarks, The backbone of the Northern Province’s economy is agriculture and fishing. However, these products are largely exported as raw materials. The North lacks factories to convert them into value-added products. Therefore, we must come forward to invest in this sector.
The number of tourists visiting the North has increased with the expansion of air services with India. Once the facilities at the Jaffna International Airport in Palaly are further improved, the arrival of tourists will increase significantly. This, in turn, will lead to substantial growth in the Northern Province’s tourism sector.
A favorable environment has now emerged for investors to invest in the North. The government is establishing three investment zones in the region. In addition, the foundation stone has been laid for the re-operation of the Paranthan Chemical Factory. The recent Northern Investment Summit held in Jaffna has also sent a very positive signal to investors.
The Governor highlighted the friendship agreement signed between the Jaffna Municipal Council and the City of Toronto, Canada, during the tenure of the Northern Provincial Council. He requested the High Commissioner to consider strengthening the activities carried out under this agreement.
During the meeting, the Governor expressed his gratitude to the Canadian government for the assistance provided in the past to resettled communities.
Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner inquired about the impact of the Ditwah disaster and the ongoing reconstruction efforts, as well as the development of the cooperative sector in the Northern Province.
The High Commissioner was given a detailed briefing by provincial officials on the basic statistics of the Northern Province, investment opportunities, the activities of provincial ministries, and the challenges faced by the people.
The meeting was attended by a delegation that included the Secretary to the Governor, the Governor’s Liaison Secretaries, Provincial Council officials, and the Political Secretary of the Canadian Embassy.
