News
Japan announces USD 1.5 mn in food assistance
Japan has announced USD 1.5 mn (Rs 600 mn) as food aid for Sri Lanka.The Japanese Embassy in Colombo and the World Food Programme (WFP), in a joint statement issued on Friday, said that the government of Japan would provide funding to the tune of USD 1.5 million (LKR 600 million) in response to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka.The funds would be used by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide food assistance to children and families in need of support, according to the statement.
The statement quoted Charge d’ Affairs of Japan to Sri Lanka, Katsuki Kotaro, as having said: “We are pleased to announce that the Government of Japan will grant USD 1.5 million emergency assistance through WFP to provide three months’ essential food supplies, including fortified rice, dhal and oil, for approximately 15,000 urban and rural people and 380,000 schoolchildren across the country. Japan has been extending vital protein to children through the provision of canned fish, made in Japan, worth a total of USD 10 million, as school meal programmes over the past 10 years. We hope that this humanitarian assistance will help improve food access and nutrition for the people of Sri Lanka, amidst the economic crisis.”
The statement: “Sri Lanka has been severely impacted by a weakening economy which has resulted in shortages of essential items, including food, and a spike in food prices, hindering families’ access to affordable, healthy meals. Even before the pandemic, malnutrition rates were high among children and women. Some 40 percent of primary-age children were too thin for their height.
“WFP will use the contribution to procure rice for the national school meal programme to ensure children can continue receiving a significant portion of their daily energy and nutrition requirement through the free school meals. It will also enable WFP to distribute ration packs, comprising essential commodities, to vulnerable households.
“Getting the right nutrition to those who need it the most will help mitigate the long-term effects of today’s economic downturn,” said Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, WFP Representative and Country Director in Sri Lanka.
“WFP is very grateful for Japan’s contribution at this critical hour. We thank Japan for its generosity and solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. WFP will support the Sri Lankan Government with emergency food assistance, based on assessments that identify the most pressing needs.”
Latest News
Cabinet green light to obtain a grant from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund for post – disaster relief and rehabilitation activities
On a request made by the government of Sri Lanka, the Asian Development Bank has given its concurrence to provide a grant of United States dollars 3 million under Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund.
It is expected to supply materials required for providing essential life security services for the communities affected, from the said grant.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the President as the Minister of Finance, Plan Implementation and Economic Development to enter into the relevant agreements with the Asian Development Bank to obtain the said grant.
Business
Cabinet approves establishment of two 50 MW wind power stations in Mullikulum, Mannar region
Adhering to the broad plan of the Government to reach the objective of accomplishing 70% of the country’s electricity supply from renewable energy sources by the year 2030, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted on 10.02.2025 to invite requests for resolutions from interested developers of the private sector in order to implement the Mullikulum Wind Power – 100 Mega Watts (two (02) wind power stations of
50 Mega Watts each) on the basis of construction, ownership and execution with a monitoring period of 20 years.
Accordingly, requests for proposals have been called to implement the relevant project by adhering to the international competitive bidding methodology, and seven (7) prospective project proposals were submitted.
Evaluating the said proposals, based on the recommendations submitted by the negotiation committee appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Power to award the contracts of establishing the two (02) 50 Mega Watts Wind
Power Stations to Consortium of Vidullanka PLC & David Pieris Motor Company (Lanka) Limited and WindForce PLC.
Latest News
Cabinet approves the purchase of vehicles to improve the primary health care system across the island
The Government of Sri Lanka has signed a financial agreement with the International Development Association of the World Bank Group to obtain US$ 150 million under the project for improvement of Primary Health Care System.
This project will be implemented covering all the districts in Sri Lanka during the period 2024 to 2028 with the objective of prevention and management of non- communicable diseases,
elderly and palliative care, including strengthening community level services and building resilience to climate related emergencies.
Insufficient transport facilities for the field officers (Public Health Midwives, public health inspectors, primary care nurses, and surveillance teams) has been identified as decisive obstacles relevant to this project.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to procure the below mentioned vehicles necessary to improve the transport capacity for broadening house based care and community relationship coverage, improve the efficiency of field tests and supervisory work, ensure the transport of clinical waste materials safely and proper time.
• 26 clinical waste materials transport lorries
• 26 Double Cabs
• 05 vans with 10 seats
• 02 buses with 42 seats
• 2,891 scooters for Public Health Midwives
• 200 scooters for Public Health Nurses
• 1,350 Motor Bicycles for public health inspectors
• 200 scooters for laboratory Services
• 20 trucks with Refrigerators for the Medical Supply Division
• 08 Fork lifts for the Medical Supply Division
• A crew cab for the Divisional Health Office – Puttalam
• An ambulance fleet for the Jaffna district
Cabinet green light to obtain a grant from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund for post – disaster relief and rehabilitation activities
Cabinet approves establishment of two 50 MW wind power stations in Mullikulum, Mannar region
Cabinet approves the purchase of vehicles to improve the primary health care system across the island
Cabinet approves the transfer of the constructions and land reserved for the Kiinniya University to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism
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