delegation from the World Bank Group held a meeting with the Jaffna District Government Agent, M. Piiratheepan, to discuss development priorities and regional economic challenges facing the Northern Province. The meeting was convened at the District Secretariat in Jaffna and focused on structural issues, sectoral constraints and investment requirements related to agriculture, industry, infrastructure and livelihoods.
The Government Agent presented a brief on the limited growth and export bottlenecks in key local sectors including agriculture, fisheries and other small-scale industries. He highlighted the lack of market access, technological support and capital inflow as recurring barriers to productivity and sustainability in the district.
A central component of the discussions was the industrial development agenda, with specific attention on two major zones, namely the 351-acre designated industrial zone in the Kankesanthurai (KKS) area, which remains largely underutilised due to infrastructure deficits and limited investor engagement and the Achchuveli Industrial Estate, which the Government Agent described as needing significant upgrades to accommodate future investment and ensure operational capacity.
Emphasis was placed on aligning these zones with the region’s labour potential and on creating sustainable employment opportunities.
Piiratheepan urged the World Bank to consider targeted support mechanisms for industrial infrastructure, investor incentives and business facilitation services. He underscored that without focused intervention, these industrial zones would continue to fall short of their intended economic impact. The GA also stressed the strategic urgency of infrastructure development, particularly, the upgrading of Palaly International Airport to meet global aviation standards. Despite its status as an international airport, it still operates below capacity due to outdated facilities and poor service integration and the development of the Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbour, which he emphasised as a critical node for regional maritime connectivity. The harbour remains inadequately equipped to handle commercial operations, limiting its role in trade and logistics.
According to Piiratheepan, these two infrastructure assets, if properly modernised, could drastically change the economic trajectory of the Northern Province by linking it more effectively to both national and international markets.
Tourism development was also addressed, with proposals for the restoration of heritage sites such as the Jaffna Fort and the Old Kachcheri Building, aimed at boosting cultural tourism. The World Bank team later conducted a site visit to the Old Kachcheri building to inspect its condition and evaluate its potential for future restoration.
Social development concerns were raised as well, particularly the economic vulnerability of female-headed households. Piiratheepan proposed livelihood programmes tailored to this demographic, arguing that economic inclusion must be a parallel goal to infrastructure development.
The World Bank delegation was led by Resident Representative of the World Bank Group, Victor Anthonypillai. He was accompanied by Senior Operations Officer for the Maldives and Sri Lanka country management unit Stephan Massing, Operations Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Ruksina Gunaratne and Associate Operations Officer at IFC Mohamed Hafiz Zainudeen.
