President opens eWis computer assembling plant in Hambantota

Monday, 11 November 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday officially declared open Sri Lanka’s first PC computer manufacturing plant in the southern port city of Hambantota.

Microsoft OEM partner, EWIS Computer Assembly Plant at Sooriyaweva in Hambantota is expected to bring the country another step closer to its goal of becoming the IT hub of Asia as outlined in the ‘Mahinda Chintana’ policy. The 25,000 sq. ft. facility is a partnership between EWIS and Microsoft and is aimed at manufacturing tablet PCs, laptop computers and desktop computers to meet the growing demand for innovative yet affordable computers in Sri Lanka as well as in the Asia Pacific region. The plant has obtained the ISO Certificate and the production will be carried out according to the international technical standards. The plant is also the only computer production facility in Sri Lanka that has been accredited as a Microsoft OEM Named Partner. The factory is equipped to manufacture PCs of varying form which will cater to multiple segments in the country such as private, public and education sectors who have different IT requirements. Production at the plant commenced in July 2013 and it is expected to create 250 job opportunities for rural youth in the field of new high-tech manufacturing, during the first phase of its operation. Ministers Bandula Gunawardena, Mahinda Amaraweera, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Rajitha Senaratne, and Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, parliamentarians Namal Rajapaksa and EWIS Chairman Sanjeeva Wickremanayake also participated in the opening.