Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Services Nimal Siripala de Silva said 12 projects funded by Japan under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be suspended.
Speaking in Parliament today he said the projects will be suspended until the International Monetary Fund (IMF) establishes a roadmap on Sri Lanka’s debts and its sustainability due to allegations of the island being bankrupt.
He made the statement, in response to a question raised by opposition MP Eran Wickramaratne with regard to the halting in finances and loans.
MP Wickramaratne had pointed out that the Second Terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport had obtained a loan worth 570 mn USD by JICA, which has been halted by the agency.
He further said that a sum of 51 mn USD from the Chinese EXIM Bank for the construction of a highway from Kadawatha to Meerigama has also been halted.
“We are going for agreements with the IMF. So do not try to hide the corruption in this country,” the MP warned.
The SJB MP said the IMF has asked Sri Lanka to stop corruption in the country and that should not be the IMF’s agenda but should have been Sri Lanka’s agenda to stop corruption.
“The Opposition and the government could get together. We could work on anti-corruption measures. The public has a feeling that we are protecting each other and we shouldn’t be doing that. We should be protecting the public as we have come to do public service,” he emphasized.
MP Eran Wickramaratne also called upon the government to bring up laws, stating, “We must make our assets and liabilities available if there is a necessity. We need to have an independent prosecutor’s office at the minimum. We need an anti-corruption bribery prosecutor’s office.”
The Opposition MP also advised the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister to take a lead on the proposal to establish an anti-corruption bribery prosecutor’s office. (NewsWire)