SAARC poverty alleviation ministers to meet in Colombo

Uditha Kumarasinghe

COLOMBO: The meeting of SAARC Ministers on Poverty Alleviation will be held in Sri Lanka on August 8.

This is the first time a meeting of SAARC member countries are to be held entirely focusing on the subject of poverty alleviation.

As one of the prime objectives, the meeting will focus on formulating plans to minimise poverty in the region, Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told the Daily Newsyesterday.

The meeting will be held at Taj Samudra hotel, Colombo on August 8. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake will be the Chief Guest at the inaugural ceremony.

The meeting of SAARC Secretaries on Poverty Alleviation will be held on August 6. The decisions taken and the problems brought out at this meeting will be placed at the Meeting of SAARC Ministers on Poverty Alleviation.

A near 40 member delegation is scheduled to participate at the meeting which will include the Ministers from all SAARC countries and their secretaries.

The Sri Lankan delegation will comprise nearly 20 representatives headed by Minister Wanniarachchi.

According to the Minister all Ministers of the Government whose Ministries are linked to the subject of poverty alleviation will attend the meeting.

The decisions reached upon at this meeting will be submitted to the next SAARC Summit, she said. The meeting will focus mainly on the socio economic and other factors which has resulted in the increase in poverty in the region and to strengthen inter-regional cooperation to combat poverty.

The meeting will also lay emphasis on the projects implemented by the Sri Lankan Government to alleviate poverty and exchange the views and technology use by other countries in the region to address the issue of poverty, the Minister said.