Sri Lankan Engineers urged to help rebuild nation

• Sri Lanka lost US $130Bn from 2006 to 2022 as a result of wrong decisions

By Yohan Perera   

Highlighting that Sri Lanka has lost US $ 130 billion from 2006 to  2022 as a result of making wrong decisions, all engineers were called  upon to become catalysts of rebuilding the nation.   

The call was made by entrepreneur, Chartered Engineer and  found Chairman of KIK Group of companies Lalith Kahatapitiya who made  the keynote address as the launch of Eng. (Dr.) A. C. Visvalingam Annual  Award for Most Outstanding Engineer 2024 organized by Institution of  Engineers (IESL) yesterday.   

“It is up to us professionals such as Engineers to guide  the leaders to make the right decisions on behalf of the nation. Sri Lanka  has suffered as the rulers were guided by the wrong persons,”  Kahatapitiya said. We would have saved US$ 130 billion if the rulers  were made to make right decisions by those who advise them,” he said.   

“We have predicted the economic downturn years ago. “I  recall telling a forum in BMICH that future generations will  curse us if we spend more than what we earn,” he added.   

He stressed that innovation and export orientation is the way forward for Sri Lanka.   

According to IESL around nine applications were received  for the Eng. (Dr.) A. C. Visvalingam Annual Award for Most Outstanding  Engineer 2023 and expected more applications this year according to  President Ranjith Dissanayake   “The award is given to those who make an  outstanding contribution to Sri Lanka’s development. Entries for the award close on May 31, 2024, according to the organizers.