Now most Chinese have left this country -- major projects at a standstill

Now most Chinese have left this country -- major projects at a standstill

As a result of a large number of Chinese labourers who served this country have not returned home to China and have not returned to Sri Lanka; as a result of which several mega projects have collapsed, Sri Lanka central bank says. Close upon 8000 Chinese labourers are serving mega projects and other projects and the majority of them they have gone to China towards the end of last January. 

The Chinese labourers who have left to their motherland because of new corona virus spreading
rapidly, activities of several projects had to be stopped, news sources say. Chinese labourers are employed in Colombo and congested areas under Chinese aid such as Colombo port city, five star hotels, housing complexes, flyovers, expressways and many other frontline development projects. 

In the same way, arrival of Chinese tourists have dropped by ninety two percent compared to the month of last February. Sri Lanka central bank says. Though according to statistics, arrivals of tourists to this country numbered 28,039 arrivals of tourists last month was 2,096 last month, the bank says. When comparing, arrivals of Chinese tourists during the first two months of this year had dropped by 55.1 per cent, Sri Lanka central bank says. It is quoted in the report released by Sri Lanka central bank announcing its second monetary policies of this year that it was Chinese tourists who are credited with 9 per cent (167,863) of the total number of tourists last year. 

It is mentioned in statistics released monthly by Sri Lanka tourist development that the total tourist arrivals in the month of January has slumped by 6.5 and 17.7 per cent in the month of February. The month of January in 2019 saw the arrivals of 244,239 tourists in this country while January this year recorded only 244,434. February last year recorded 252,033 of tourist arrivals while this year the number dropped to 207,507.

- Harshana Thushara Silva -