Visiting USAID Administrator Samantha Power yesterday announced US$ 20 million in Humanitarian Assistance to Sri Lanka in addition to the US$ 40 million assistance to farmers announced on Saturday increasing the total allocation to the country since June to US$ 240 million. She said that the USAID will provide US$ 40 million assistance to the farmers who are facing unprecedented impact from the economic and agricultural crisis.
Subject to Congressional approval, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will invest this money to provide farmers with fertilizer and other vital agricultural inputs.
She added that this critical support, implemented through the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, comes just in time for maximum benefit to the upcoming “Maha” season and will benefit up to 1 million farmers in need of fertilizer across Sri Lanka, which includes 53,000 farmers in need of emergency cash assistance, She said this program is implemented with the FAO and trusted agencies to make sure that farmers are benefited by the USAID assistance Follow up programs and monitoring process will continue.
Power said that the United States as a creditor and member of the Paris Club is also ready to participate in SL debt restructuring as a member of the Paris Club.
Speaking at a press conference at the US embassy in Colombo she said that it is imperative that all of creditors cooperate in this process openly and on comfortable terms with each other She said political reform agenda and economic agenda should go hand in hand to tackle the crisis facing the country
Added that the United States and the USAID have provided over US$ 2 billion assistance to Sri Lanka over the course of seventy years.
She also said that Sri Lanka’s vibrant civil society must have the space that they need to raise their voices and hold the Government accountable.
The USAID Administrator viewed that international investor confidence will increase as the government tackles corruption and proceeds with long sought governance reforms.
“As citizens see the Government visibly following through on the commitment to bring about meaningful change that in turn will increase society support for the tough economic reforms ahead,” she said.
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