Entrepreneur sees massive untapped potential in our mineral sector

Sri Lanka's mineral sector presents significant investment opportunities, particularly in graphite, mineral sands (ilmenite, rutile, zircon), and rare earth elements, driven by investor-friendly policies and the push for value-added processing, with potential exports reaching US $2 billion said Senior Economist and the Chairman of Energise Australia Pvt. Limited, Dr. Arosha Fernando.

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Dr. Fernando has participated in a number of recent international investment forums, including in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, focusing on global economic trends and fostering new investments, especially in sectors like AI, semiconductors, and technology, building on Taiwan's strong economic outlook and efforts to become an Asian asset management hub.

He further learnt Taiwan's mineral policy focus on securing critical minerals for high-tech manufacturing (semiconductors, batteries) and clean energy, leveraging its strong downstream processing capabilities (magnets, components) through partnerships.

During the Forum, Dr. Fernando explained that the key areas for investment include high-purity graphite mining, graphene tech, advanced gem operations, and mineral sands development which is fully supported by the Board of Investment (BOI) and the new national mineral policy currently being formulated in Sri Lanka.