The third phase of the Myliddy Fisheries Harbour Development Project in Jaffna was symbolically inaugurated by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (01 Sept).

Addressing the occasion, President Dissanayake stated that it is the responsibility of the government to provide the necessary facilities for the fishing community.

He further said that steps are being taken to develop the fisheries harbour in the North in order to provide such facilities and resolve the issues faced by the fishing community. 

The President noted that although previous governments acted with the expectation of war, the present government is working with the aim of ensuring that no form of war will ever recur in this country and to build peace and harmony within the nation. 

He also stated that every plot of land in the North, which was acquired for the security forces during the war, will be released back to the people. 

President Dissanayake assured that the government is committed to safeguarding the surrounding seas, islands and landmass of the country for the benefit of the people and will not allow any external force to exert influence in this regard. 

Under the third phase of the Myliddy Fisheries Harbour Development Project, essential facilities such as water, electricity, fuel, cold storage, net-mending centres, auction halls and radio communication centres will be provided not only for the fishing community of the Northern Province but also for fishing boats arriving from the Eastern and Southern Provinces. 

The government has allocated Rs. 298 million for this purpose in the current year. (Newswire)

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In 2024, the government disclosed only 40% of the required information on foreign-financed projects, according to Sri Lankan think-tank Verité Research.

This was revealed in the 2024 update of Infrastructure Watch, a dashboard on PublicFinance.LK – Sri Lanka’s premier economic insights platform. 

Issuing a statement, Verité Research said this platform has tracked government compliance with the RTI Act’s proactive disclosure requirements since 2022.

Verité Research points out that large infrastructure projects of the government are often financed by foreign loans and grants and when the amount exceeds USD 100,000, the law requires information about the projects to be disclosed to the public online. 

However, compliance with the law is poor and in 2024, the government has disclosed only 40% of the required information on foreign-financed projects.

Verité Research states corruption in public spending is often linked to public procurement and its economic insights dashboard shows that disclosure of procurement-related information for foreign-financed projects was even less – only 20% of what the law requires.

Economist and Director at Verité Research Subhashini Abeysinghe says that “foreign lenders can help improve transparency by linking their project financing to government compliance with the Right to Information Act.” 

Improving transparency is not only in the interest of the Sri Lankan public but also benefits lenders and contractors involved in these projects. Subhashini Abeysinghe says that “greater transparency not only fosters fair competition and reduces the risk of corruption, but also minimizes reputational risks for lenders and contractors of being implicated in corrupt practices.”

Section 9 of the RTI Act and the guidelines published by the RTI commission mandate the proactive disclosure of information under five broad categories: project details, rationale & beneficiaries, budget & financial details, approvals & clearances, and procurement & contracts.

The 2024 assessment looked at compliance concerning 50 large infrastructure projects. The dashboard can be accessed by visiting https://dashboards.publicfinance.lk/infrastructure-watch/ (Newswire)

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Cabinet approval has been granted to take the necessary measures to receive Japanese Yen 1,600 million as grants under the Japanese Economic and Social Development Programme for several development projects in Sri Lanka. 

The Japanese Government has expanded its corporation to grant immediate humanitarian grants to the communities devastated by the present economic crisis prevailing within Sri Lanka and by empowering the government sector to upgrade the economic situation of the country. 

Accordingly, the Government of Japan has agreed to grant approximately Rs. 3.3 billion to implement the following projects under the Japanese Economic and Social Development Programme. 

• Response and management enhancement project for oil spills of Sri Lanka Coastal Defense Force. 
• The project to supply assisting equipment for maternal and infant treatments in the main hospitals of the Northern province.
• The project to distribute assisting equipment for garment courses in vocational training centres of the Northern province. 
• Project to award assisting equipment for the security of fishermen in Northern and Eastern provinces.

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the proposal presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, to sign the exchange papers and other relevant documents with the Government of Japan to receive donation grants under the Japanese Economic and Social Development Programme for the implementation of the said projects. (NewsWire) 

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Directives have been issued to the heads of relevant institutions to submit reports on the progress and future plans of the Beira Lake Development Project to President Ranil Wickremesinghe by December 15, 2023.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the directives were issued by Senior Adviser to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka.

Ratnayaka also instructed the same officials to promptly provide a report on the Colombo city beautification plan and its current status for immediate submission to the President.

These directives were issued during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on the implementation of the Colombo City Beautification Plan and the progress review of the Beira Lake Development Project on Monday (Dec 04). 

The meeting focused on various aspects, including the development of identified land around Beira Lake for public activities in collaboration with the private sector. 

The discussion also addressed ongoing efforts to prevent sewage pipes from being diverted into Beira Lake, aiming to reduce the percentage of bacteria and algae in the lake.

Several key points were also discussed, such as the redevelopment of the central bus station at three locations near the Fort railway station, collaboration with the private sector for commercial development of the current bus station location, removal of unsafe trees in the Colombo city and replanting suitable trees. 

The meeting delved into identifying and maintaining dilapidated buildings, creating a regulatory plan for traffic flow, passenger pick-up and stopping and progress on projects to regulate rainwater drainage.

Furthermore, a joint program with the Sri Lanka Police, Colombo Municipal Council, and Trade Associations was discussed to reduce and manage congestion in Colombo during the upcoming Christmas season. 

Senior officials from the Colombo Municipal Council, Urban Development Authority, Road Development Authority, Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation and Sri Lanka Police participated in the discussion. (NewsWire)

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Sri Lanka and Japan have agreed to restart stalled development projects in Sri Lanka once the credit optimization process is completed, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported. 

According to the PMD, the agreement was reached when Minister of State in the Cabinet Office of Japan, Fujimaru Satoshi and former Minister of State for Regional Revitalization and Regulatory Reform, Yamamoto Kozo called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (July 31).

During the meeting, they discussed the stalled development projects in Sri Lanka, which were previously supported by the Japanese Government. The parties agreed to restart these projects once the credit optimization process in Sri Lanka is completed. 

The PMD stated that additionally, they decided to involve officials from the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka in conducting an investigation related to these projects.

The Japanese delegation, including the Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, Mizukoshi Hideaki, President’s Senior Advisor on National Security and Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, and President’s Senior Adviser on Economic Affairs Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, among others, attended this event. (NewsWire)

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