News
Partnership with donors help to strengthen Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout through COVAX Facility

COLOMBO, 18 March 2021 – In one of the most remarkable collective efforts in history – the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO on one hand and multiple donors on the other, is helping to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to protect vulnerable groups against the pandemic.
The first batch of 264,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca ‘Covishield’ vaccines recently arrived in Sri Lanka for the most vulnerable elderly population above 60 years of age in high-risk areas impacted by COVID-19 in line with the National Vaccine Deployment Plan of the Ministry of Health (MOH).
According to the Plan, there are approximately 2.65 million elderly people (above 60 years of age) in the country.
The partner Governments including various bilateral, multilateral as well as some major foundations and corporations are providing significant support and funding, in order to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, including to Sri Lanka.
Speaking on behalf of the UN in Sri Lanka, the Resident Coordinator, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, said, “Global solidarity is more important than ever, and donors are playing a fundamental role in making the provision of vaccines to the most high-risk groups in Sri Lanka and across the world possible”.
Development partners and international financial institutions across the world are providing substantial financial resources to the COVAX facility to help countries through the pandemic recovery period to ensure that no one is left behind.
“We are all grateful for this partnership. Together we can defeat this pandemic and charter a course to social and economic recovery by ensuring a safer and healthier future for everyone in Sri Lanka,” the Resident Coordinator said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that no one is safe, until everyone is safe and the fair and equitable access to the vaccine is the only way we can defeat the virus” Ms. Singer-Hamdy said.
As part of the agreement between the MOH and the COVAX Facility, vaccines are being allocated for 20 per cent of the population which will cover 4.4 million people in the country. The first round of allocations from the COVAX facility of 1.44 million vaccines will be provided in stages through to May 2021. The vaccines will be procured by UNICEF, subject to the availability from manufacturers and authorization by WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL).
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Business
President invites exporters to rise again from the economic setback

President Anura Kumar Disanayake invited Sri Lankan exporters to rebuild and thrive on a robust economic foundation.
The President emphasized that our country faces the challenge of capturing market share from a position of relative weakness. He pointed out that, to overcome this, external support had to be sought. In this regard, he highlighted that the government is prepared to provide assistance for recovery based on the current economic stability.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake made these remarks at the 26th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony.
The 26th Presidential Export Awards, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), was held on Friday (07) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) under the patronage of President Anura Kumar Disanayake.
The main objective of the awards ceremony is to recognize exporters who have made significant contributions to the economic development of Sri Lanka.
The Presidential Export Award, presented by the President, is the highest honour for Sri Lankan exporters who have made significant contributions to the export sector and economic development.
The Presidential Export Awards program, initiated by the EDB in 1981, has been held annually to recognize Sri Lanka’s top exporters. The awards ceremony for the 2023/24 financial year took place this year.
A total of 14 major awards and 51 awards in the categories of production and services were presented, with recipients gaining the opportunity to use the Presidential Export Award logo as a marketing tool for three years.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake further emphasized the critical importance of the trust placed in Sri Lanka by international economic stakeholders to stabilize the country’s economy. He noted that the global market economy is interconnected, not entirely independent.
He further pointed out that the primary challenge facing Sri Lanka is securing a substantial share of the market amidst the current global division of markets and the ongoing competition to reclaim market shares.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake noted that the global market has become an interconnected network. He emphasized that in order for the country to become a key participant in this market, it must engage in trade agreements that are beneficial to Sri Lanka. He cautioned that aggressive, reckless approaches to market penetration would not be successful, stressing the need for strategic, thoughtful engagement.
The President further stated that the government is already taking steps to provide the necessary technical support for Sri Lankan exporters to enter the market with high-quality products. He highlighted the government’s focus on supplying new goods and services in response to global changes, in line with international market trends.
Regarding the reduction of electricity bills, the President mentioned that the government is prioritizing renewable energy sources to maintain long-term stability in energy costs. He added that efforts are underway to lower costs and ensure stable pricing over the next few years.
President Disanayake also emphasized that the government is committed to playing a pivotal role in advancing the nation’s economy to new heights. He noted that even small or misguided decisions can have significant negative impacts on the economy, and therefore, decisions regarding the economy must be made with great caution and foresight.
In his remarks, the President assured that the government is fully committed to fulfilling exporters’ requests, which are vital to strengthening the nation’s economy and maintaining a strong economic foundation.
Finally, the President invited Sri Lankan exporters to unite in strengthening the economy, stressing the importance of collaboration and mutual understanding to navigate the challenges of economic recovery and growth effectively.
The ceremony was attended by several distinguished individuals, including Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Thilaka Jayasundara, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Duminda Hulangamuwa, along with various Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentarians, foreign diplomats, Secretaries to the Ministries, and members of the EDB.
[PMD]
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