Sri Lanka today launched a policy document that contains well-studied long-term recommendations for the development of the war-ravaged Northern Province.
Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera launched the ‘Framework for an Economic Development Master Plan’ commissioned by the Central Bank today at the Ministry of Finance.
The Northern Development Master Plan aims to be a realistic and dynamic tool to create a ‘blueprint’ for the future long-term growth and development of Northern Sri Lanka to 2030.
“With the launch of the “Framework for an Economic Development Master Plan,” we have an important policy document that contains well-studied long-term recommendations for the Northern Province,” the Minister said at the launch.
Drawing on perspectives and experiences coming out of the region, this Framework is offered as a resource for policymakers, donors and civil society to chart a new way forward to bring prosperity and equity to the Northern Province.
In doing so, it is hoped that wider objectives of peace and reconciliation, and reintegration to the growth of the national economy can also be sustainably achieved.
Minister Samaraweera said for the last four years, the Finance Ministry gave considerable importance to rebuilding the Northern Province by addressing a range of post-conflict issues including reconciliation, empowering communities, providing relief for marginalized women and creating funding mechanisms to address the concerns of the war-affected.
Samaraweera said in his capacity as the Finance Minister, he has visited the North on several occasions and personally reviewed the progress of the Treasury funded projects on a regular basis.
“My Budget proposals in 2018, for the first time, dedicated a section to Reconciliation with over twenty projects for the North by allocating over 12,000 million rupees,” he said.
In the North, a budget allocation of Rs 500 million to credit co-operatives will be reaching over thirty thousand households, who are able to take small loans at low interest rates, as opposed to being trapped by loan sharks.
He said the rural development program Gamperaliya is successfully implemented in the North covering Jaffna and Wanni electoral districts, which will bring nearly Rs. 5 billion worth of projects to these areas.
Huge success in Gamperaliya in 2018 in the North demonstrates that the development strategies are well matching the current needs of those marginalized communities, the Minister said adding that employing and engaging those people in economic activities must continue to propel growth.
The Minister assured that similar initiatives will continue in the upcoming budget and prioritize future development project policies.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
