Despite more than a decade after the end of the armed conflict and restoration of normalcy in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, this region remains one of the poorest and least competitive in the country. The contribution of the Northern Province to national economic output remains disproportionately low, and within the 5 districts making up the Northern Province, development is uneven with the Jaffna district dominating. Unless radical steps are taken today, I fear this gap will grow to unsurpassable levels, leaving the constituents of this province forever as the laggards of Sri Lanka.   

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As the incumbent Governor, I am unwilling to sit idly by and watch this happen. So, I have taken the initiative upon myself to drive the Northern Province to become a leader both locally as well as regionally in economic development and performance among the 9 provinces.  

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I’m cognizant of the fact that the Northern Province & its land is of the people, and my service is for the people. You may have seen my vision for the province and the plan on turning around the fortunes of all its citizens setting an example that the rest of Sri Lanka can follow in bucking the trend to become a regional economic force. This Plan is aligned with the globally accepted UN framework of sustainable development. To accelerate this vision, I will be setting up an operational team of expert consultants that will help the province take a jump in the curve of development. This Jump team will help me formulate, communicate, execute, lay KPIs & measure the performance of the province on a near real-time basis using cutting-edge digital technologies.  

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To lay the foundation for this rebooting activity that can go on long after my time as governor, I’m inducting a team that will operate as an independent organization alongside the Governor’s Office. This team will be a conduit to help bridge the people, shareholders, investors, and the administration together to ensure development & economic activity are triggered & continued within the province.  

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To ensure such an operation is successful, this team will have a strong visionary leadership board who are respected for their professional expertise. They have deep-rooted connections to the province, offering thought leadership & governance alongside a smart young team of business & digital consulting professionals operationalizing it. I envision this organizational team to be self-sufficient very quickly once operational. To ensure that the team gets off the ground fast, an initial investment is needed and such is not within the current budget portfolio of the Governor. If my vision excites you, and you would like to be a part of this journey with me, I would be greatly humbled to use your support in realizing not just my dream, but the dreams of an entire province.