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| Sunday, 25 September 2005 |
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President tells world community: Keep focus on tsunami reconstruction President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on Thursday urged the international community and the UN to continue to keep the focus on the reconstruction and recovery effort in the tsunami affected countries and to ensure that pledges made are fulfilled. She regretted that the procurement procedures in place among some of the donor agencies and NGOs were delaying the reconstruction process, while others are yet to channel funds to Sri Lanka. President Kumaratunga made these observations when she addressed a meeting of the Global Consortium on Tsunami Recovery, chaired by the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery former President Bill Clinton, and held at the World Bank in Washington D.C. Among the participants at this meeting were World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, heads of UN agencies, the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), members of the NGO community, and delegations from the affected countries and donor countries. Earlier in her statement the President expressed appreciation for the generosity of Governments, international agencies, NGOs and citizens of all countries, who came to Sri Lanka's assistance following the December 26 tsunami, and described it as a "magnificent demonstration of human solidarity." She particularly thanked President Clinton for the interest taken in Sri Lanka's recovery process and said "Sri Lanka will do our maximum to utilize your support (President Clinton's) effectively and productively." The President noted that Sri Lanka's reconstruction work required over US$2 billion and involved the entire spectrum of infrastructure development- education, health service, roads, railways, bridges, sewage systems, water & sanitation projects etc. She noted that all tsunami destroyed houses will be built on State owned land or on land bought by the Government for the tsunami affected households. The Government plans to gift land and houses to the beneficiaries after they settle in. With regard to housing, nearly 70% of house construction had begun. |
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