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| Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
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All set for development forum by Rohan Mathes
Mahaweli Reach Hotel in Kandy will be the Conference venue while the inauguration will take place at Earls Regency Hotel, Kandy. The organising of the Development Forum is led by the Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Sarath Amunugama, who told the Sunday Observer, "This time there is a change as we are taking the ownership of the conference. The Ministry of Finance is organising the conference, with the assistance of the World Bank, ADB and the JBIC. We are planning it and inviting the participants. It is a Sri Lankan Government affair". Dr. Amunugama explained that they expect all donor-country representatives to participate as was in the conferences of the past in Tokyo and Paris. Around 120 invitees have already expressed their willingness to participate. Unlike the normal aid group meetings, this time there would be a new item in the agenda, the 'Tsunami Rehabilitation and Relief' operations, prior to discussions on the Sri Lankan economy. A whole day will be dedicated for discussions on the pledges made for tsunami reconstruction, what has already been done and what needs to be done in the future. The WB, ADB and the JBIC have done a needs assessment report which reveals a requirement of US dollars 1.6 billion over a period of three to four years for rehabilitation. TAFREN has also made a study using the Department of Planning which comes under the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Census and Statistics Department which comes under the President. "We have a document for discussion, which is complimentary to the three donor banks. Under this programme we have identified 168 schools, 38 hospitals, community centres, townships, harbours, the Colombo-Matara railway and a new coastal road from Negombo to Batticaloa among others. We expect to discuss these projects, their funding arrangements and the general consensus as reflected in the WB reports at the meetings", he said. Amunugama pointed out that certain NGOs are providing as much or more aid than donor countries. The Red Cross is granting US dollars 350 million equivalent to what countries like India and China are donating and equal to Sri Lanka's total debt component for the year. OXFAM is donating 40 million US dollars. On day two, the forum will dedicate the sessions for discussions on the Sri Lankan economy. Last year, Sri Lanka had a growth rate of 5.6 per cent and is hopeful of achieving a 6 per cent growth this year, although the Central Bank predicts a slightly lesser growth rate. Finance Ministry sources told the Sunday Observer that in addition to the main theme of Post Tsunami and Post Conflict Rehabilitation and Reconstruction to be discussed during the three sessions of the first day, other themes such as Reforms for High Growth and Poverty Alleviation, Monitoring, Implementation and Governance would also be taken up. The Millennium Development Goals Country Report 2005- Sri Lanka, will also be launched during the conference. Participants at the forum are expected from the highest level from the development partners. Twenty seven embassies, 23 Donor agencies, relevant ministers and secretaries, the private sector, civil societies and trade unions will also participate. Around 100 to 150 foreign delegates and 75 to 100 locals are expected to participate. Sessions on May 16 will include a video presentation from the Ministry of Information and Media, followed by a presentation on the Immediate Post Tsunami Recovery Phase-Results and Challenges by Dr. Tara De Mel, the Chairperson for the Centre for National Operations, Coordination with the North and East by Harim Peiris of the Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation Ministry and on Transitional Issues by Chairman Task Force for Relief Tilak Ranaviraja. Dr. Amunugama argued that for Sri Lanka to be a vibrant economy, we should target a rate of at least 8 per cent. Otherwise we would fail to resolve our problems of unemployment, income parity and the like. "Sri Lanka is now the 'sick man' in the Asian region. All other countries like India, China, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam and Singapore are having a 10 per cent growth. Even Bangladesh is overtaking us.We are the worst country in Asia when it comes to economic development. The question will be how we would enhance productivity. We will have to make economic decisions for this. All these matters will be discussed at the meetings", he opined. Amunugama added that the other aspects of the conference would be on the importance of having peace in the country and the debt relief. A Kandy declaration, made jointly by the Development Partners and the Government of Sri Lanka, is expected to be released at the conclusion of the Forum. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
Development Forums are generally held in Paris or other overseas
locations, except for one occasion where a local donor forum was held in
Colombo in 2001, on the request of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The Sri
Lanka Development Forum 2005, the first ever full-fledged such conference,
will be held on May 16 and 17 in the sacred hill capital of Kandy. The
previous Donor conference had been held in Tokyo in 2003. 
