Northern Province gets lion’s share of foreign funds

Chaminda Perera

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday said that over 80 per cent of foreign funds were channeled for development projects in the North and the East though the UPFA was defeated in a number of elections in those areas.

He said that the Government provides assistance to all segments of society without any discrimination.

He said massive development was taking place in the area adjacent to the Galle Face green. The Minister added that two leading hotel chains in the world namely Shangri-La and ITC have invested in two hotels overseeing the Galle Face promenade while development of the Colombo south harbour was progressing rapidly.

The Minister was speaking at the distribution of 108 vehicles among local Government institutions in the Western Province at the Galle

Face Green yesterday. The Western Provincial Council has spent Rs. 307 million for the project. Over 30 trucks and tractors were

distributed among the local government bodies for waste management activities.

Over 78 cabs and vans were distributed among the local government bodies and the institutions coming under the Western Provincial Council. Minister Rajapaska added that all parts of the Western province would enjoy the dividends of development in the city. He said that the Western Province contributes to more than half of the country’s economy. Minister Rajapaksa was of the view that the Western Provincial Council and the local Government bodies in the province should strive to make more contributions towards the country’s economic development. The Minister added that the Western Provincial Council also played a decisive role to uplift the living standards of rural the community by passing the Divi Neguma Bill in the Council with a majority vote.

He said that the Western Provincial Council has taken steps to provide high quality vehicles for the local government with the hope of providing a better service to the public. Minister Rajapaksa noted that the Western provincial council has allocated Rs. 3.2 million for a vehicle while the import tax on these vehicles was exempted by the Government.

He said that the local government bodies where UPFA lost are also provided assistance for the service of the public without any discrimination.

Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, Provincial Minister Udaya Gammanpila , Chief Secretary of the Western Provincial Council Jayanthi Wijetunga and the heads of local government institutions were present.