(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Mirigama Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) managed by the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka contributed US$ 14,074,581.35 in export revenue as at end of March 2018, a BOI release said.
MEPZ is in the Gampaha District about 65 Km North East of Colombo and 35 Km away from Colombo (Katunayake) International Airport. It was established in 1998 on a land area of 260.5 acres of which 50.69 acres are industrial land. The infrastructure facilities at the zone include water, the processing of waste water and electricity, making it attractive to investors.
The zone’s enterprises have a significant impact on the local economy as they provide employment to 2,752 staff. The Zone therefore promotes the Government’s objective to develop regional industrialization.
There are currently 9 enterprises in commercial operations at the Mirigama zone involved in the manufacture of garments, marble, granite, lead ingots, and plant propagation products, extraction of essential oil and oleoresins from spices.
Among the enterprises functioning at the MEPZ is Aussee Oats Milling Pvt. Ltd. which is engaged in the milling of oats for exports. Their factory is advanced and highly automated. Their products include rolled oats, steel cut oats, instant oats, quick oats, sweet and savory oats, oat flour, oat bran and muesli.
Another company Colombo Stone Industries Pvt. Ltd. is engaged in the manufacture of granite products used in the building industry. This company also uses advanced machinery capable of cutting granite blocks to produce several floor board components simultaneously.
Since these are mainly from non-traditional economic sectors, the enterprises of the Export Processing Zone have created new skills and introduced new technologies to Sri Lanka’s economy.
The zone is presently expanding its land area by another 108 Acres, adding 31 industrial lots to the zone with an objective of facilitating more FDI into the country.