REFUGEE

Ceylinco crisis and the global recession has hit the construction industry, specially in the selling of housing units as the prospective buyers have lost confidence on the whole business of housing units, said Surath Wickramasinghe, President, Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka.

He said this in Colombo this week, while announcing the holding of the Construction Exhibition – Excon 2009 – first International Construction Expo from 30 October to 1 November 2009 at the BMICH.

Mr Wickramasinghe said that they have been holding this Exhibition for the last five years but this is the first time they expect more than 40 stalls by various foreign countries. He said that there were be large scale participation of Indian Companies as trade stall holders and also expect entrepreneurs from construction and allied industries from Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. There would also participation from Gulf countries

He said that with the liberation of North and East there would be tremendous development activity in those areas and said that development also means construction in various forms.

The foreign participation will facilitate technology transfer to the local industry and linkage building with regional counterparts which could lead to mutually beneficial joint ventures and other partnering arrangements.

Newly appointed Vice President, CCI, Nawaz Rajabdeen said that this year for the first time CCI is going the embrace the Regional and District Trade Chambers and get their participation in this Exhibition. He said that there would be tremendous development activity to take place in the country, specially the North and East. He said that several Chamber

He said that the Sri Lankan construction people should get their share in the construction activities through the CCI using local engineers, architects and other provincial professionals to work in the development (construction) in these areas