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368306
Fri, 05/22/2015 - 10:25
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Colombo Welcomes Malaysia's Proposal On Three Mega Projects - Special Envoy

COLOMBO, May 22 (Bernama) -- Colombo has welcomed Malaysia's proposal for government to government cooperation in the implementation of at least three infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars in Sri Lanka. Special Envoy (Ministerial Rank) to India & South Asia for Infrastructure S. Samy Vellu who is on a three-day working visit to Sri Lanka since May 19, said Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena would direct his officials to pursue the government to government cooperation. "The president of Sri Lanka is keen for his government to work with the Malaysian government so that there will be transparency, an openess which is the tag line of the current Sri Lanka government," he said after making a courtesy call on the Sri Lankan president here Thursday. Samy said the three projects which Malaysia wanted to implement under this arrangement are the Aviation Fuel transfer pipeline project from Muthurajawela to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in which a Malaysian consortium would provide both a technical and financial solution to implement it. The project will be implemented via understandings and formal arrangements that will be made between the respective governmental departments of Sri Lanka and Malaysia viz. a “government to government” agreement. It will be implemented on a Build, Operate and Transfer basis (BOT). According to Samy, the Malaysian consortium would be responsible for raising the financing required to implement the project. "Further to preliminary cost and financial modeling undertaken by the Malaysian consortium, a concession period shall be finalised," he said. The second project is the 100-km Colombo-Kandy Expressway in which Malaysia's Emrail Sdn Bhd had shown interest to implement the estimated US$1 billion project. Samy said India's Minister of Highways and Investment Promotion Mohamed Hashim Mohamed Kabir had agreed in principle for Malaysia to submit a proposal for the project. The third project is the Colombo Monorail in which Scomi Group is believed to be involved. Samy also met with Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. -- BERNAMA

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