Interview: Inclusive infrastructure, social projects to boost Sri Lanka’s sustainable growth: ADB vice president
Inclusive infrastructure and social projects in Sri Lanka will help boost the island country’s economic growth, while active participation in regional cooperation and integration (RCI) will enhance connectivity, trade and investment with other countries in the region and beyond, Wencai Zhang, vice president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), told Xinhua in a recent interview.
At the conclusion of a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, Zhang said he was glad to see ADB-funded projects in the island country in general had been well prepared and implemented and would bring tangible benefits to the local population.
In the village of Handapanagala, Zhang spoke to residents who had benefited from an energy project. He also visited a technical college in Southern Province, which offers vocational training courses, and the site of a proposed Integrated Water Productivity Improvement Project.
When asked to comment about projects assisted by China and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Sri Lanka, Zhang said “In Sri Lanka, BRI has been supporting the country to build major infrastructures, such as highways, ports, airports, and urban development. Inclusive design and quality implementation are key to extend the project benefits to the community and the people. Sri Lanka may take advantage of BRI and other RCI mechanisms such as South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) to unleash its economic potentials”.
The ADB vice president also noted that China’s investments in Sri Lanka’s social sector such as health, agriculture, irrigation, and education are increasing.
“The development of infrastructure together with social sector projects would jointly improve the livelihood of local people and boost employment and eliminate poverty.” Zhang added.
Noting that Sri Lanka faces a number of development challenges including the recent low economic growth compared to other countries in the region and the demand for more structural reforms, Zhang said the ADB is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s continued development drive, with innovative and integration solutions, in line with ADB’s new long-term corporate blueprint, Strategy 2030.
Zhang also said in the future the ADB is willing to co-finance with any organization or government who aimed to carry out development projects in Sri Lanka, including China.
As of July 31, ADB’s active project portfolio in Sri Lanka stood at 35 projects with a net loan amount of 3.9 billion U.S. dollars.
Zhang said ADB expects to sign a total of 1 billion U.S. dollar in financing for nine projects in 2018. Over the next three years, commitments will total 3 billion U.S. dollars addressing ports, railways, roads, secondary and higher education, electricity transmission and distribution, fisheries, irrigation, wastewater management, drinking water, sanitation, and support for small and medium enterprises.
(Xinhua)
Latest Headlines in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka launches program to digitize all Government payments December 27, 2024
- Sri Lankan woman dies after emergency plane landing in Erbil December 27, 2024
- Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dies at 92 December 26, 2024
- Sri Lanka welcomes 2 millionth tourist, marking historic milestone December 26, 2024
- Sri Lanka Police introduces nighttime traffic rules to enhance safety December 26, 2024
Few decades back there several ADB funded pantation rehabilitation projects and one such project was the third tea development project in Badualla. What was the outcome of the project. The better components were never impleented as a result ot of plantations were abandoned and those that urvived would have done well in anycase with out the project and most likely those that controlled robbed the project money in collusion with the superintendents. The agrciultural component never got off the ground for plantation maners were cluless abot the more vital aspects of this component. The factories were left bare.
Infrastructure development is imporant hopefully if this is to to be sustainable then the foundation of the economy should be made sustainable and todate this is all talk and and nothing tangible has come about. Thd mnistry of agaicultiure is a disaster agriculture todate survived with out the support of the minsiry or the department of agariculture and what ever policies ended up with disaster and its bankruptcy is reflected by the FACT that sri will continue to import rice!
ADB ought to address real issues that determine sustainibility as opposed to pander to thier vested interested with appears very sinister.
The ADB where electricity is concerned is recommending solar power but it can be established that it is the biggest fraud in our country’s history for the following reasons
Our Country cannot get investors to our country because of our President the moment he became President made a declaration about climate change to please the west he did this twice one of them recently when our per capita carbon emissions were one of the lowest in the world of 0.67 while I wish to state per capita carbon emission of 0.61 metric tons per year is very low compare it with Malaysia a developing Country (6.7) and the US a developed Country (19.78), is 10 times and 30 times more respectively, also the Carbon emissions in Singapore which country our leaders are attempting to emulate 30 metric tons is about 20 time of that of our Country and as such there should not be any concern regarding carbon emissions these are supported by the per capita carbon emission per year statistics in countries in the world in 2007 down loaded from the internet
.and also it can be stated from the data from internet it can be computed that even if we have 10 coal power stations the size of Norochoholai producing a total of 70 billion units per year, our per capita carbon emission per year will not exceed 70×109/21×106= 3040 Kg=3.04 metric tons assuming a population of 21 million and 1000Kg= a metric ton, as such there is no threat of carbon emission to our country by planning for accelerated coal power projects as many as required for our country. The President’s statement contravenes article 3,4,12, 27 anf 33 (f) of our constitution and as such direct foreign investors are avoiding us like a plague and also his reliance on solar power can be established has the biggest fraud committed in our country’s history which also has destabilized our country’s economy. This can be established from the following details given on energy sources of our country by clicking hpt//www.ceb.lk/yesterday
Reservoir Storage
947.9 GWh
Energy Percentage %
CEB Thermal (Coal) 11.6 GWh 29.51
CEB Thermal (Oil) 8.01 GWh 20.39
IPP Thermal (Oil) 2.27 GWh 5.77
Laxapana Complex Hydro 4.61 GWh 11.73
Mahaweli Complex Hydro 7.76 GWh 19.75
Samanala Wewa 2.13 GWh 5.42
Kukule Ganga 0.56 GWh 1.43
CEB (Small Hydro) 0.08 GWh 0.19
Wind 1.96 GWh 4.98
There is no solar power in our country ‘s power sources but we have about 100 Mw of Solar power panels giving no kWh but paid at Rs.22 per kWh as such this is the biggest fraud in our country’s history going into several 100 Million US$ and the Presidents avoidance of coal fueled electricity has caused a loss of a trillion Rs. for the last 3 years and every days delay is causing a loss of a billion Rs. to we the people and our country would this have happened if these powers were given to parliament ?