US$ 200 million from the Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan has agreed to extend an Export Credit Facility of US$ 200 million through the State Bank of Pakistan. This was agreed during the visit of Pakistani President to Sri Lanka in November 2010.
An amount of US$ 150 million of this credit, is to be utilized for the construction of Housing Units for Shanty Dwellers in Colombo and suburbs and the balance US$ 50 million for the importation of livestock, plant and machinery from Pakistan.
The Loan agreement will be signed with the Government of Pakistan, during current State visit of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Pakistan.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Islamabad Friday morning on a two day State visit accompanied by several ministers and officials.
Source: Government News Portal
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During the 30 years of LTTE terrorism, many Muslim and Sinhalese refugees fled the N & E to settle in the S. Some may have settled in Colombo. They should be assisted to return to their traditional homelands in N & E, without interference from TNA, who wants to continue Tamil apartheid in N & E. N & E is not exclusively for Tamils only, just as S is not exclusively for Sinhalese only. All communities should be able to settled and live in harmony in any part of SL, since they are all children of Motherlanka, enjoying all rights equally.
In the allocation of new housing units built by these loans for the shanty dwellers, there should be no discrimination on the basis of race, religion etc. Only those shanty dwellers who lived in their shanties for many years should be entitled to new flats built for them and the shanties destroyed. No one should be allowed access to this land to build shanties again. Instead, new housing development can proceed in these lands as well, for poor people without discrimination.
No criminal organisations should be allowed to control these new flats, to be sub-let at exorbitant rents to people the criminals select. Law should be utterly stringent. No big corrupt politicians should be allowed to grab these new housing complexes for the poor, through their private armies of thugs, for personal gain. I hope Hon President declares this in public and make it clear in cabinet meetings, it will be zero tolerance for such behaviour of politicians.
It is good to survive on dreams, Mr N. Law and order in Sri Lanka are dreams. One cannot expect anything else in a country that is lead by people who have no respect for others in society.