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| Tuesday, 18 January 2005 |
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by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi Japan yesterday pledged its continuous support for long and mid- term rehabilitation and reconstruction of Sri Lanka's tsunami ravaged areas. "Japan will certainly go beyond the immediate assistance for long -term and mid-term rehabilitation and reconstruction in the affected areas from South to East and North," Japanese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Akio Suda told a news briefing yesterday "Japan also pledged a 80 million US dollar grant aid on January 07, an unprecedented and the largest immediate grant aid from any country." Amongst immediate assistance provided by Japan are; US dollar one million cash grant, US dollar 296,000 worth goods and equipment (such as tents, generators, water tanks), two emergency medical teams were also dispatched to Kalmunai and Ampara.In addition 2400 metric tonnes of rice was made available through the World Food Program and moratorium placed on debt payment. Japan has also made an emergency grant aid of US dollars 80 million for non-project aid.The agreement in this regard was to be signed yesterday(17). Besides, Japan has provided assistance through the UN agencies. Japan bears more than 30 per cent of the US dollar 250 million grant contribution to the relevant international organisations, Ambassador Suda said. Responding to a question, Ambassador Suda said they were making arrangements with the Government to properly utilise the aid and assistance provided by Japan."We are planning to set up a committee comprising embassy officials to monitor and ensure proper utilisation of aid." While stressing the necessity of working on mid-term and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction in the affected areas, Ambassador Suda said such measures should focus on three main points. "Firstly, relief and rehabilitation work and international assistance should take place in all the affected areas and for all the suffering people equally and in an efficient manner. I hope that all parties concerned cooperate more openly with each other so that assistance are handled efficiently to reach directly to suffering people." "Secondly, most affected areas are relatively poor and less developed. So we should consider the further development and betterment of the areas rather than simple normalisation and returning to past conditions.Improving the situation of poverty and backwardness in those areas in the South, East and North would help ease tension among people of the country," added Ambassador Suda. "Thirdly, there won't be real recovery of the country without re-establishment of Sri Lanka's traditional fisheries industry as the affected areas largely depend on the fisheries industry," he added. He said Japan would like to consider further assistance for rehabilitation and even development of areas such as Ampara and Kalmunai which are poor and severely affected by the tsunami. Referring to the peace process, Suda said " I believe that this situation will have a positive effect on the peace process in the long run as all parties have to address common problems." He also mentioned that JBIC(Japan Bank for International Cooperation) together with the World Bank and ADB and in consultation with the Sri Lankan Government are now assessing the damage and exploring appropriate rehabilitation and reconstruction projects that are suitable for its soft loans. "Possible areas of such projects include roads, water supply, housing, telecommunication and fisheries," Ambassador Suda said. |
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