A ceremony was held to lay the foundation stone for the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Gem Trade Tower in Ratnapura today.
The project has been commenced under the National Policy of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and State Minister Lohan Ratwatte laid the foundation stone, to launch the project.
The Rs. 800 million project will enable sellers and buyers in the industry to engage in trade in one location.
As part of the first phase of the project, a five-storey building with a floor area of 1,500 square feet will be constructed on a 22- perch extended plot of land in Demuwawatta, Ratnapura.
The trade tower will include independent quality testing services, laboratory services, banks and export services as in Bangkok and Hong Kong, which are renowned sales centres for gem and jewelry in Asia.
Under the second phase of the project, the Government intends to acquire the adjoining plot of land to build a modern 14- storey building. (NewsWire)
