Japan will not reduce development aid to SL - ambassador
Rasika Somarathna
The Japanese government will not reduce development aid for growing
countries like Sri Lanka despite a slight decline in its economy,
Japanese ambassador to Sri Lanka Nobuhito Hobo said yesterday.
He said discussions were held on reducing financial aid for
developing countries back home but the authorities decided against it.
The ambassador said Japan also gets aid from other countries and
remembered the assistance it received from Sri Lanka during recent
natural calamities, including the tsunami.
Hobo said this in reply to a question by a journalist during a
ceremony at his residence.
He also gave away grant aid amounting to US $ 72,498 (Over Rs 8.7
million) for a project to improve infrastructure and livelihood of
remote villages in the Kegalle district. The aid was provided under the
grant assistance for grassroot human security projects. The project
slated to be implemented by the Community Development Centre (CDC) aims
at improving infrastructure, agricultural activities and livelihood of
the people in the area.
Some of the money will be utilised to renovate roads in Samagama,
Apalawa and Attapitiya in the Aranayake DS division. Community halls
will also be constructed in Apalawa and Moragammana villages.
The project includes livelihood improvement activities such as
provision of agricultural tools, plants and seeds of yams and yam
cultivating training programmes and the establishment of a yam farm.
CDC executive director Damayanthi Godamulla said the project will
benefit more than 2,000 low income families living with less
infrastructure facilities.
It will also be a boost to yam cultivation in the area and will
encourage others to pursue it as a viable livelihood avenue in future,
she added. |