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French Government aid tranche to Sri Lanka through AFD exceeds Euros 172 million
by Steve A. Morrell
Agence Francaise de Development Group (AFD), a development bank and cooperation agency, owned by the French government, implements France’s policy on development finance.
The institution’s mandate encompass extending development financial assistance to the public sector to accelerate growth and transition towards a more sustainable world.
AFD’s Country Director Reda Souirgi, with the Ambassador for France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Eric Lavertu and Deputy Head of Mission, Aurelien Mailet explained a wide cross section of development aid projects ongoing and projected for implementation that would benefit Sri Lanka, at a news conference in Colombo recently.
The Ambassador said irrigation projects for improvement included flood control and providing safe drinking water.
Discussions are continuing with farmers in Trincomalee and Batticaloa for the implementation of the planned irrigation projects with tangible benefits to them on completion, he noted.
“We also discussed the projects with the Bishops of Trincomalee and Batticaloa and the Eastern University for further inputs before going ahead with their implementation”, the envoy further said.
The Mundeni Aru Basin development project has also been included for implementation in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts, he said.
Introducing Country Director Reda Souirgi, the Ambassador said he assumed duties in the Embassy two months ago to take charge of AFD development projects. He is an engineer with wide experience to implement such projects.
Souirgi said he joined AFD in 2015 and was active in implementing projects in Senegal, Cote d’ lvoire, Tunisia and Colombia. He also worked in Latin America, the Caribbean, and West and North Africa. He brought to bear his experience serving in those countries to benefit needs for implementation in Sri Lanka.
He said that AFD funding began in 2005. Sri Lanka was the first Asian country to benefit from the projects, which included water supply, energy, roads and bridges, local development and vocational training.
In addition, the initiative covered the construction of four grid substations, supplementing the national grid through renewable power generation, micro hydro plants and producing cheaper green power. Green power development co-financed by the Asian Development Bank in the water and sanitation sectors are expected to benefit 146,000 families in the eastern part of Greater Colombo, he said.
“We are also looking at energy efficient water treatment plants”, Souirgi stressed.
French assistance towards implementing the projects exceeded 172 million Euros, he noted, adding that the aid was not a grant but was payable to the government of France on easy payment terms. With a grace period of seven years, the funds have to be paid back in 25 years, he further said.
‘White elephants’ will not be financed under the French aid program, he said, while explaining that requests by the government are assessed in detail with their feasibility and implications evaluated before funding is approved based on their beneficial conclusion.
The program also included promotion of tourism with emphasis on SMEs and assistance to entrepreneurs in the sphere. The micro credit scheme, a segment of the aid tranche, focused on the production of dry fish and employment to women. Such schemes will be implemented in Galle, Beruwala and other coastal areas.
Sanitation and clean water projects in Jaffna and especially building reservoirs in the north will result in about 10,000 hectares of farm lands being irrigated to benefit the farming community. There will also be support to farmers and promotion of on–farm water efficient practices. International standards will be observed to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of the projects, Souirgi assured.
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PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC is not bound by recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, or presidential directives in that regard, according to authoritative sources.
They said that the AG couldn’t under any circumstances initiate legal proceedings until he had received the full PCoI report.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the PCoI report on Feb 1. The President’s Office delivered a set of PCoI reports to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Feb 23, a day after the report was presented to the cabinet of ministers. The Island raised the matter with relevant authorities in the wake of a section of the media reporting the PCoI recommending punitive measures against former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, IGP Pujitha Jayasundera, Chief of State Intelligence Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, Chief of National Intelligence retired DIG Sisira Mendis and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Rishad Bathiudeen et al over the Easter Sunday carnage.
Sources pointed out that due to the inordinate delay in sharing the PCoI report with the AG, the department hadn’t been able to take preliminary measures required to initiate the proceedings. Sources said that a team of officers would take at least six weeks or more to examine the report before tangible measures could be taken.
With the AG scheduled to retire on May 24, 2021, even if the AG Department received the P CoI it would be quite a tough task to initiate proceedings ahead of retirement, sources said. However, in terms of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in last October, both the AG and the IGP could receive extensions beyond 60 at the President’s discretion.
Dappula de Livera received an Acting appointment as the AG a week after the Easter Sunday carnage whereas his predecessor Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, was elevated to Chief Justice.
Responding to another query, sources said that the Attorney General two weeks ago requested Secretary to the President for a copy of the P CoI. However, the AG was yet to receive one, sources said. In spite of the AG not receiving a P CoI copy, the AG had instructed the IGP to obtain a copy of the report when he requested the police to complete investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage. The AG issued specific instructions after having examined police files pertaining to the investigations.
The IGP, too, hadn’t received a copy so far though some sections of the report were in the public domain.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage displayed at a live political programme on Derana a copy of the P CoI report he received at the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Sources said that the Attorney General’s Department couldn’t decide on a course of action in respect of the Easter carnage on the basis of a section of the report. In terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Section 24), the AG enjoyed significant powers/authority in respect of investigations; sources said adding that the Department urgently required both the P CoI report and police investigations report. The Attorney General’s Department has raised the delay in receiving a P CoI report amidst the Catholic Church attacking the government over the same issue.
Sources said that ministerial committee appointed to study the P CoI report couldn’t decide on how to proceed with the recommendations and the matter was entirely in the hands of the AG. Sources pointed out that the delay on the part of the government to release the report had received the attention of sections of the international media, including the New York Times. Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera having met Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Bishop’s House on Dec 8, 2020 said that the AG would get a copy of the P CoI report once the President received it. Minister Weerasekera said that the CID had handed over the relevant files after having completed investigations into eight blasts. Referring to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the Easter Sunday carnage, the former Navy Chief of Staff said that all such documents would have to be brought to one place and considered before initiating legal proceedings. Acknowledging that there could be delays, lawmaker Weerasekera said that on the instructions of the Attorney General a 12-member team of lawyers was working on the case. The minister vowed to expose the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks. Investigations continued while some of those wanted were overseas, the minister said.
The minister acknowledged that the Attorney General couldn’t proceed without the P CoI report. Minister Weerasekera reiterated that once the President received the P CoI report, it would be sent to the Attorney General. The minister said that there were documents two to three feet high that needed scrutiny. The minister assured comprehensive investigation. The minister said that investigations pertaining to eight blasts had been completed and the reports handed over to the AG. However, the Attorney General had found shortcomings in those investigations.
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By Saman Indrajith
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday bombings had failed to identify the mastermind of , the JVP said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said that the PCoI report had levelled accusations against former President Maithripala Sirisena, former IGP and head of intelligence for their dereliction of duty, shirking of responsibilities and not taking action to prevent the attacks and negligence. There were reference to the causes of the terror attacks and actions to be taken to avoid such attacks and the influence of extremist organisations. “However, there is no mention of the mastermind of the attacks, the handlers of the attackers and those whose interests the carnage served. It is also not mentioned whether there has been any foreign or local organisation behind those attacks. As per the PCoI report the attack took place as a result of culmination of extremism.
“According to the PCoI the extremist activities were a result of the prevailing political situation then. The entire nation was waiting to see who was responsible and who masterminded those attacks. The PCoI has failed to identify the true culprits responsible for the terror attacks. The report says that the leader of the suicide cadres killed himself in the attacks and it was a puzzle. That means those who are actually responsible for the attacks are still at large. The report does not provide exact details of the sources of the attacks. The PCoI had sittings for one year and five months. It summoned various persons and got their statements but it has failed to shed any light on the terror attacks. Everybody knows that the top leaders of the government and heads of security and intelligence establishments failed in their duties. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the second in command and he too is bound by the responsibility but the PCoI report fails to identify him as one of the persons against whom legal action should be instituted. The PCoI has treated Wickremesinghe and former President Maithripala Sirisena differently. We are not telling that this report is a total failure but we cannot accept this as a complete report. The PCoI handed over its report to the President on Feb 1. After 23 days it was sent to Parliament. Now, a copy of the report is there in the parliamentary library for the perusal of MPs.”
Herath said that the PCoI did not have powers to take punitive action. “It only has powers to name those responsible and recommend action to be taken against those named.
