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According to a news release from the Ministry of Finance and Planning on Wednesday, the Donor Community has granted nearly US Dollars 3000 million in aid for economic development at the Sri Lanka Development Forum held in Paris on December 18 and 19. The release stated that despite contradictory reports in various newspapers, the Government has in fact was able to mobilise a considerable volume of foreign aid for all its major development programmes. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in addition to US$ 372 million for on-going projects on road development, fisheries sector development, skills development, power sector expansion, water supply and sanitation and education has lined up a further sum of US$ 640 million for infrastructure development projects to be implemented over 2001-2003. From this project pipeline ADB approved US$ 240 million recently. The Government of Japan being the largest single donor, in addition to its commitment of US$ 1420 million for the on-going projects, has committed for a further US$ 275 million for development projects this year. This includes the financing of a section of the Southern Expressway, which would cost around US$ 200 million. The Government has also negotiated with the Government of Japan for the 34th Yen loan package totalling US$ 300 million. The un-disbursed commitments by the World Bank is around US$ 260 million and total project pipeline is around US$ 150 million. Bilateral aid from Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, the USA, Norway, European Union, Australia, China, Korea, India etc also total to around US$ 303 million. The bilateral as well as multilateral development aid available for the continuing development work of the Government as at present is around US$ 2870 million while a further US$ 850 million is being negotiated for projects which are in the pipeline for the country's development with emphasis on infrastructure development. The release states: The news items which appeared in certain newspapers indicating that the Government of Sri Lanka does not receive foreign aid for its development programme is inaccurate and misleading. Such reports appear to be fabricated by the LTTE and opposition parties with ulterior motives. Unlike in the past, aid group meetings are no longer held for Sri Lanka since the country has reached middle-income status. The current practice with regard to countries which have reached middle-income status is to have development forums, which provide opportunities for the donor community to get together and discuss broad development topics and assist Governments in mobilizing donor support for their development programmes. The focus of the donor community at the recently concluded Development Forum for Sri Lanka held in Paris was to assist the Government in reviewing the newly formulated framework for poverty reduction, formulating a strategy for improvements in tertiary education, further strengthening governance and developing a framework for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the North and East. The participants commended the high economic growth and stable macro economic conditions achieved by the Government in recent years and expressed their co-operation for a further consolidation in view of the emerging challenges arising from the on-going civil conflict, high petroleum prices and other external shocks on Sri Lanka's economy. The donor community also expressed support for the Government's poverty reduction strategy and the framework pertaining to relief and rehabilitation in the North and East.
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