”Understanding the importance of the strategic location of the BAIZ zone. I am instructing my Ministry to immediately enlist the regional government officials to upgrade BAIZ access roads as a start” said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, recently in Bata-Ata Industrial Zone, Tangalle. He further said "with less than 30 km to MRIA Airport and Hambanthota Magampura Port with a travel time of 50 minutes, this zone is well placed for fast cycle manufacturing, especially export industries that need to ship fast.

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the members of the Bata-Ata Industrial Zone (BAIZ)’s Investors Association at the Zone. Minister Bathiudeen was making a surprise inspection visit to BAIZ –the huge 106 acre zone that the Ministry commenced in 2000, now hosting five active industries and providing employment for 1200. Currently, BAIZ also has operations of Leoch Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Raigam Ltd, and Senaka Builder Ltd.

As soon as Minister arrived at the BAIZ he held an Investor Relations Meeting and began to resolve their pending issues immediately. Their urgent concern, the need for upgrade of the main access road to the Zone, has been resolved on the spot by Minister Bathiudeen who instructed his officials to allocate $460,000-the cost of repair-immediately, and enlisted the assistance of Hambanthota government officials such as the H’thota GA, to complete the work.

BAIZ Investors and industrialists praised Minister Bathiudeen for his inspection and upgrade initiative. “At last, all of us are wearing a big smile today” said a relieved Senaka Gurusinge (Chairman of BAIZ Investor Association and CEO of Senaka Builder Ltd), addressing the session which Minister Bathiudeen presided.

“Due to the Zone’s close proximity to MRIA airport and the Magampura Port, there is strong potential for it to grow faster. Therefore now is the time that we should prepare.” Minister Bathiudeen’s officials informed him that a new polythene recycling project and steel assembly project are also on BAIZ cards. Minister Bathiudeen also instructed his officials in charge of the BAIZ to monitor pressure levels of water flow to various industrial plants in the zone and evaluate their capacities and toured various BAIZ factories, inspected their production processes on 26 September.