While investors are showing interest in investing in the Northern Province, it is our responsibility to improve the basic infrastructure and create an investment-friendly environment, stated the Hon. Governor of Northern Province N.Vethanayahan.
A special discussion between the Director Generals of the National Planning Department, National Budget Department, and Department of External Resources under the Ministry of Finance, along with the Director General of World Bank projects under the Ministry of Urban Development, and officials led by the Northern Province Governor, was held this evening – on Monday, 19 January 2026 at the Governor’s Secretariat.
This marks the first official visit of the senior officials’ team from the Ministry of Finance to the Northern Province.
During the discussion, the Governor stated the following:
Even though 16 years have passed since the end of the war, the Northern Province continues to face numerous challenges in its reconstruction process. While major roads have been rehabilitated, rural roads and transportation facilities to island areas remain significantly underdeveloped. The long travel time between Colombo and Jaffna continues to be a challenge for tourists.
However, direct air and sea connections with India have increased the arrival of tourists. Therefore, considering the expected increase in tourists in the future and the Investors’ Conference scheduled for the 21st of this month, basic facilities must be improved urgently.
The current situation where raw materials from our province are taken away and returned as finished products for sale here must change. Mechanisms are necessary to add value to these materials within the province itself.
In the first phase of the World Bank’s ‘REVIVE’ project, only the Jaffna District has been included. However, the other four districts of the North remain lagging in development. Therefore, we wish to ensure the economic development of our province by including all five districts, the Governor strongly emphasized.
The following key requests were presented by the District Secretaries during the meeting:
Mullaitivu: Construction of Kokkilai Bridge
– Kilinochchi: Water supply project and rehabilitation of Poonakari Kautharimunai tourism road
– Mannar: Road rehabilitation and improvement of drainage system in Mannar Island
– Vavuniya: Inclusion of the Vannerikulam tourism project in Vavuniya, the gateway to the North
– Jaffna: Expediting the implementation of selected projects
Responding to these requests, the senior officials of the Ministry of Finance stated:
“If well-justified and high-quality project proposals are presented from the Northern Province, it is possible to re-prioritize and reallocate World Bank projects accordingly. However, since these are loan funds, it must be ensured that they yield good returns on investment. If needs are properly identified and the very best projects are presented, even the government can provide funding.”
Additionally, detailed discussions were held regarding the ‘RURBAN’ program connecting rural and urban areas, as well as agriculture sector planning. It was also pointed out that, based on the experience of past foreign-funded projects, future projects should be properly identified according to provincial needs and implemented effectively.
The discussion was attended by, among others:
Director Generals of the Ministry of Finance – Indika Premaratne (National Planning), Jude Niluksha (National Budget), Saman Bandara (External Resources),
Northern Province Chief Secretary, Secretary to the Governor, Secretaries of Provincial Ministries, District Secretaries, Heads of Departments, and Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Committee Dr. Akilan Kathirgamar.
