The Cabinet of Ministers has decided not to sign the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in its present form based on the recommendations of the Committee of Experts appointed in this regard, Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Information and Communications Technology, Higher Education, and Technology and Innovations Minister Dr. Minister Bandula Gunawardena said.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing at the Government Information Department yesterday, Minister Dr. Gunawardane said that the Committee of Experts appointed to conduct a comprehensive study on the MCC agreement has concluded that it contains clauses that are not in agreement with the Constitution of Sri Lanka and are detrimental to the sovereignty of the country.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has tabled the interim report of the committee to the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister Gunawardana stated.
He further commented that this agreement was devised at the discretion of the former government led by the United National Party (UNP) and not by the United States. The government is willing to receive financial assistance from any friendly country due to the prevailing financial crisis. Therefore, the government is ready to discuss matters related to the MCC agreement without its unacceptable conditions.
A review committee headed by Professor Lalithasiri Gunaruwan was appointed for submitting recommendations to the government on the actions to be taken after studying what is relevant to the MCC as per a decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers on December 18, 2019.
The said Committee has submitted a supplementary report to the Prime Minister and the report pointed out that there are features that may threaten the national, social and economic welfare of Sri Lanka within certain projects proposed under this programme although the MCC proposal is capable of supplying financial resources required for investments that wipe out the fundamental economic constraints in Sri Lanka suppressed due to lack of capital resources and being debt – ridden nation without increasing the foreign credit bondage.
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Cabinet decides not to sign MCC agreement (10:23)
The Cabinet of Ministers has decided not to sign the Millennium Challenge Cooperation due to national security concerns, addressing a press briefing held in Colombo today Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena said.
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