Our aim is to build a developed Sri Lanka by means of environment friendly investments

- Mr.Sathis Nawarathne, the Chairman, Sadaharitha Plantations Limited.

Safest and most environment friendly investment option which guarantees a big return for your money, undoubtedly, is the investment you make with commercial forestry projects, according to the Chairman of Sadaharitha Planatations Limited, Mr.Sathis Nawarathne. In a rather competitive world of investment choices, the investor who relies on commercial forestry projects as his long term investment option stands out as the highest gainer.

Although other long term investors of different fields have to face problems like rupee depreciation and rising cost-of-living, commercial forestry project investors are immune to such factors. Since timber and land prices increase along with the rising cost-of- living, Mr.Nawarathne believes that investors of this field can receive higher returns in the future.

Timber and lands are considered as limited resources. Currently there is a dearth of those two resources. Therefore the demand for timber and land has shown an increasing tendency. Thus their prices continue going up with time.

As Sri Lanka has stepped into a higher status from being a third world country, it needs new investment strategies for bringing a rapid development, Mr.Sathis Nawarathne added. When measuring a country's development, environment conservation is considered as one of the facades of the development process. So environment friendly commercial forestry projects too can contribute to a country's progress on the development path. These kinds of investment projects also help preserving our natural forests and preventing environmental pollution.

Lands that were once barren are cultivated with plants of commercial value and then they are maintained in the best condition by utilizing the country's own resources. Investors can invest in such cultivated plots of lands. As an offshoot of the whole process employment opportunities are generated and the infrastructure of nearby areas is improved. While investors gain high profits from these commercial forestry projects, income level of the people living in the close areas also increases as they get new employment opportunities.

Timber and related products of commercial forestry projects bring a considerable amount of foreign exchange to Sri Lanka through the export market. Mr.Sathis Nawarathne, the Chairman of Sadaharitha Plantations Limited finally emphasized that the time has come for the investors to devote more attention towards environment friendly commercial forestry investments projects which bring benefits not just for the investor himself but for the environment and the country as a whole.

From Lakbima newspaper - 06th February 2010