World Bank affirms all support projects in SL will continue uninterrupted

Parameswaran Iyer with President Dissanayake

The World Bank Group this week affirmed that all ongoing World Bank-supported projects in Sri Lanka will continue uninterrupted under the country’s new government.

The affirmation was made by World Bank Executive Director Parameswaran Iyer during a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this week.

Iyer met Dissanayake to discuss World Bank’s continued support for Sri Lanka’s development and aligning the Bank’s assistance with the new administration’s primary areas of focus. 

At the meeting, he announced that the World Bank plans to form an advisory group to assess how best to support the development priorities of the new government.

“President Dissanayake emphasised the government’s primary focus areas, which include advancing the agriculture, fisheries, tourism, education, and health sectors. He underscored the importance of these sectors in fostering national development and improving livelihoods. In response, Iyer stated that the World Bank is prepared to convene an advisory group to explore steps for supporting the government’s development priorities,” the Presidential Media Division stated. 

The advisory group will assess how best to support the future development agenda outlined by Dissanayake at the meeting.

The government’s agenda includes progressive efforts to alleviate rural poverty and addressing the longstanding challenges faced by the people in the North and East.

Moreover, efforts are also aimed at addressing the land and housing issues faced by the plantation community along with the government’s plans for economic digitalisation, highlighted by its latest push for a Digital Identity Card initiative.

At the meeting, Iyer also commended the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative of the government and expressed World Bank’s commitment to support President’s efforts under the programme.