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The annual Paris aid conference had now ceased to be an pledging meeting since Sri Lanka had become a middle-level income earning country in the eyes of the world, Deputy Finance Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said in the parliament yesterday. “There was a good reason for it. Sri Lanka is no longer regarded as a poor country, having reached the level of a middle income group country with her per capita income now at USD 865,” Prof. Peiris said .Based on this, now the Paris Conference now called as "Sri Lanka Development Forum" not as the Aid Group Meeting. Prof. G. L. further said the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge made it clear at the Paris meeting that the government was engaged in the process of taking critical decisions with regards to the war and the ethnic situation, the constitutional process and the management of the economy. The Minister making a special statement in the parliament on the outcome of the Sri Lanka Development Forum discussions in Paris stated that the Asian Development Bank had committed a sum of US$ 1,352 for development of vital sectors such as road development, education, power expansion, water supply and fisheries. The leading donor to Sri Lanka, Japan would give US$ 1420 million and an additional 310 m. US$ for the proposed development project including southern expressway which would received 200 m US$. Another 300 million US$ was being discussed, Minister said. Aid from the World Bank would be 420 million US$ and other donor countries such as Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, UK, US, Norway, Australia, China, Korea and India would be 300 m. US$ altogether, he said. Donor countries were appreciative of the way the government carried out rehabilitation of north and east without waiting for the war to end. They also appreciated the Samurdhi programme as a scheme, which has enhanced opportunities to the poor, rather than giving handouts.
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