Infrastructure: Key NPP manifesto promises

Abstract

The NPP's 2024 Presidential Election manifesto outlines new promises to improve infrastructure development in key sectors, including transportation, telecommunications, postal services, power and energy, and ports, shipping, and aviation.

Here is the full list of such infrastructure related promises: - Establishing housing loan schemes to support rural home constructions.

- Developing proactive and real-time alert systems to warn against natural disasters

- Expanding research on renewable energy and prioritization of the Akwerala wind power project

- Establishing "Technology Development Centers" in selected districts

- Modernize the Sapugaskanda Refinery

- Construct an international oil transmission and cargo storage terminal in Trincomalee

- Establish an aircraft service and maintenance hub to cater to the aviation requirements of the Asian region.

- Adding 2,000 MW gradually into the national supply using solar power

- Establishing a network of island-wide battery charging centres to charge electric vehicles

- Establishing a special bureau to advise on energy related investments, energy trade, future trends in energy etc.

- Gradually expanding railway lines on a priority basis to cover the regions which are not covered by the railway network at present

- Gradually developing the railway system to have trains run on electricity

- Construction of safe cycling lanes within main cities and from nearby areas

- Provision of cycle parking facilities at main train and bus stations, institutions, and other public places

- Constructing pedestrian lanes.

- A technical unit to research and advise on promotion of waterway transportation

- Increasing the public internet access points.

- Building a centralized backbone network with the transmission network of the electricity board.

- Establishing wi-fi in public places.

- Free access to essential emergency services.

- Allocating annual budget for mass communication in each ministry to the institutions maintained as PSB.

- An electronic system for land registration and digitalizing land reports.

- A special research and development unit for the construction industry.