President’s Japan visit extremely fruitful

Rasika Somarathna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent visit to Japan paved the way for several important outcomes in a number of sectors and helped further strengthen Japan-Sri Lanka relations, that now spans 60 years, Japanese ambassador to Sri Lanka Nobuhito Hobo said yesterday.

In one of the most important outcomes of the President’s visit, the Japanese government committed Rs 57.8 billion in development aid to Sri Lanka. The ambassador said these will be mainly utilised for infrastructure development.

Japanese and Sri Lankan officials also agreed to expand collaboration on maritime cooperation and explore possibilities on investments important to both countries.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe assured his country’s continued support for Sri Lanka’s sustainable growth, Hobo said. The ambassador said the above at a ceremony where he extended grant aid of Rs 25.4 million for two projects intended to improve livelihood of communities in the Anuradhapura and Matara districts under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.

Rs 11.3 million was provided for the construction of a dried fish processing and marketing complex along with kilns, processing equipment and training of women communities in four villages in Dondra, Matara to assist livelihoods of 200 families.

This will be implemented by ‘Soba Kantha,’ an environment management and community development foundation. It successfully implemented similar projects in 2010 and 2011. ‘Soba Kantha’ Head Kanthi Mudalige said seven to eight women can benefit from one kiln

Each kiln can produce nearly 250 kgs of dried fish per month. She said this will help each member to earn at least Rs 20,000 per month.

The second grant of Rs 14.1 million is to renovate a tank in the former conflict affected area in the Anuradhapura district.

The tank can supplement water to cultivate only 50 acres due to its dilapidated status and with rehabilitation this is expected to increase to 150 acres.