News
Indian assistance to Sri Lanka totals SLR 517 billion, including SLR 92 bn in grants

Discussion on Batticaloa hospital project underway (pic courtesy Indian HC)
India’s overall commitment of development assistance to Sri Lanka stands at a total of around SLR 517 billion, including SLR 92 billion under grants, the Indian High Commission said in a media statement recently.
The following is the text of the statement that primarily dealt with the ongoing construction of a Surgical Unit to Teaching Hospital, Batticaloa:
“The Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting for Construction of Surgical Unit to Teaching Hospital, Batticaloa, chaired by Mr. Vinod K. Jacob, Deputy High Commissioner, held at High Commission of India on 19 August 2020, reviewed the progress of implementation of the Project. The meeting was attended by the officials of the High Commission of India, Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Department of External Resources and Department of Project Management and Monitoring of Ministry of Finance, Project Consultant from Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB) and Contractor from Malwatte Constructions.
“The project worth SLR 262 Million is being implemented as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) in Sri Lanka. The modernization and improvement of infrastructure for surgeries will benefit the people in and around Eastern Province. India remains committed to further strengthening the health infrastructure of Sri Lanka by implementation of grant projects like 1990 Suwasariya Emergency Ambulance Service, Construction of sanitation units in Batticaloa. India donated 25 tonnes of emergency medicines and medical kits during COVID pandemic to Sri Lanka. A special assistance of USD 1 million through SAARC Development Fund is also being provided for setting up of COVID isolation ward for the National Hospital in Kandy.
“These projects are in continuation of Government of India’s people-oriented development cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka. India’s overall commitment of development assistance to Sri Lanka stands at a total of around SLR 517 billion and among these, SLR 92 billion under grants.
News
Economic crisis: 100,000 families already starving

Govt. to provide monthly assistance package – official
By Ifham Nizam
Plans are underway to assist an average needy family of four with a monthly package of Rs. 15,000, a senior adviser to President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday, adding that the move was expected to help ameliorate the plight of nearly 65,000 families.
Food Security Committee Chairman Dr. Suren Batagoda told The Island yesterday that at present some 100,000 families across the country were starving.
He said financial assistance would be provided to those families for three months. Within three months, the government would design a package in the form of food stamps, etc.
Dr. Batagoda said the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the World Bank, and state agencies would also team up to strengthen food security, focusing especially on needy pregnant mothers and pre-school children.
News
GR govt. ignored Chinese lenders’ request for debt restructuring

By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Gotabaya Rajapaksa government had ignored suggestions by Chinese lending institutions that Sri Lanka to restructure the debt in 2021, Prof. Samitha Hettige said yesterday.
“The Rajapaksa government started talking of debt restructuring earlier this year. The Opposition had been asking for this before,” he said. By 2021, before the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration decided on debt restructuring, the Chinese institutions that had given Sri Lanka loans suggested that a restructuring process should start since Sri Lanka would have trouble repaying the loans, the Strategic Studies scholar said.
However, the request had gone unheeded, and if the government had started discussions then, Sri Lanka would not have been in crisis, Prof. Hettige said.
The Sri Lankan foreign policy, in the last few years, had also been misguided, Prof. Hettige said. A number of Indian and Chinese companies faced unnecessary issues by the behaviour of the government, he said.
Prof. Hettige said that the government must focus on establishing free trade ports and reducing negative lists for investments.
News
SJB dissociates itself from SF’s call for protest

By Chaminda Silva
MP Sarath Fonseka’s call for people to join anti-government protests was not a decision taken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), party MP J.C Alawathuwala said.
The SJB believed that they had to help President Ranil Wickremesinghe stabilise the country, economically and politically, he said.
MP Alawathuwala said the President must be given some time to solve the problems faced by the people and that the SJB was holding discussions with the government to guide it on a people-friendly path.
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