The government will recruit 1,700 graduate teachers to address the shortage of teachers in the east, according to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who addressed a gathering at the Eravur Municipal Council.

He stated that the Ministry of National Policy and Economic Affairs has already called for applications to recruit 20,000 graduates as Development Assistants.

The Prime Minister added that the government aims to develop the country to be the economic centre of the Indian Ocean and that it has started to develop the ports towards this end. A contract has been awarded to Surbana Jurong City Development, an entity owned by the Singaporean government, to prepare plans to develop the Trincomalee Harbour.