WB endorses Lanka’s development drive

by Shirajiv Sirimane

The Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, has endorsed the development vision in the Mahinda Chintana and has again reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to support Sri Lanka.

While endorsing the development drive in the country he commended the country’s development program.

Dr. Mohieldin met President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Economic Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, and other senior officials to discuss how the World Bank could support the government to realise the country’s ambitious development goals as articulated in the Mahinda Chintana.

He discussed a new partnership approach of sharing ideas and knowledge that is based on the initiative of democratising development - a concept laid down by President of the World Bank Group Robert Zoellick.

During his stay, Dr. Mohieldin visited hospitals and schools in Nuwara Eliya, a World Bank supported Water Supply and Sanitation Project and held discussions with the local community.

Visiting a tea plantation in Talawakele, the Managing Director acknowledged the impressive entrepreneurial talent in positioning Sri Lankan tea in the export market and the growing importance of corporate social responsibility adopted by Sri Lanka’s business sector.

In Colombo, he held discussions with representatives of the private sector, NGOs and Think Tanks.He was accompanied by World Bank’s Country Director for Sri Lanka Ms. Diarietou Gaye and a team of officials from Washington and the local country office.

“Sri Lanka’s continued progress towards upper middle income status is critically dependent on a productive and highly skilled labour force, which is contingent on modernising the education and health systems,” said Mohieldin, acknowledging Sri Lanka’s achievements in the education and health sectors.

“As it becomes a middle income country, Sri Lanka will face a new set of challenges, including ensuring very high quality education in computer and financial literacy and managing the demographic transition in a way that challenges are turned into opportunities and maximising the country benefits from the peace dividend,” Mohieldin said.

Dr. Mohieldin leads the World Bank’s knowledge development as represented through the Bank’s Networks on Finance and Private Sector Development, Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management and Human Development and the World Bank Institute.