COLOMBO : World Bank’s Appreciation of Sri Lanka’s Economic Programme
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has urged representatives of the World Bank to assist in conveying to the global community the transparent nature of Sri Lanka’s present governance framework, free from corruption. He noted that such efforts would enhance the country’s prospects of attracting fresh investment.
The President made these remarks Monday afternoon Sept. (15) during a meeting with a World Bank delegation led by Mr. Johannes Zutt, Vice President for the South Asia Region of the World Bank Group, at the Presidential Secretariat.
The discussions focused extensively on how the World Bank could support Sri Lanka in achieving its future development objectives.
The World Bank representatives expressed their appreciation of Sri Lanka’s current economic programme and recommended that greater emphasis be placed on economic growth and job creation. They identified priority areas such as digitalisation, tourism, agriculture and infrastructure, which could generate short-term gains, while also highlighting the importance of development in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
It was also revealed during the meeting that approval had been granted for assistance to the programmes submitted by the Government of Sri Lanka to the World Bank.
The discussions further covered the government’s steps to establish the necessary legal framework and policy initiatives aimed at creating a conducive environment for attracting new investment.
President Dissanayake emphasised that the government is actively working to stabilise the economy and lay the foundation for growth. He stressed that while Sri Lanka had once been labelled internationally as a corrupt nation, the present administration’s transparent policies were enabling the country to achieve steady progress not only in economic terms but also in political and social stability.
The World Bank delegation included Mr. David Sislen, World Bank Division Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and Mr. Gevorg Sargsyan, World Bank Group Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponso and several other officials.
