Financial Times

North East Integrated Agriculture Project set to achieve objectives
By Sinniah Gurunathan Trincomalee correspondent
The North East Integrated Agricultural Project (NEIAP) funded by the World Bank is on track towards the objective of helping conflict-affected communities in the northeast and neighbouring areas to achieve decent production levels, according to an official report.

The programme, which began in 2000 and is due to be completed in 2005, is well on the way towards jump-starting agricultural and small-scale reconstruction activities and building their capacity for sustainable social and economic reintegration.

The 12-page report was released last week by a World Bank team that visited selected focal villages in Trincomalee, Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna and met project beneficiaries, government agents and other officials.

The team comprised Nihal Fernando (task leader and co-mission leader), Robert Epworth (co-mission leader), Suryanarayanan Satish (community and institutional development and social safeguards), E.V. Jagannathan (engineering design and construction), Julitta Rasiah (financial management), Ohn Myint (co-task leader, project progress and costing), Deepal Fernando (procurements), Harini Wijesundera (Team Assistance) - all from the World Bank, and Michael Marx (livelihood support/micro credit) from the FAO.

The WB team in its report said project interventions such as rehabilitation of irrigation tanks, rural roads, construction of drinking water wells and community centres, and introduction of livelihood support activities have already benefited at least 35,000 families in the northern and eastern provinces.

NEIAP has restored about 5,400 hectares of agricultural land to production through the rehabilitation of about 86 minor irrigation tanks completed to date, it said. NEIAP has also created employment opportunities in 249 vocal villages through the engagement of communities in rehabilitation work and the restoration of agricultural production and wage labour employment opportunities under the rehabilitation of tanks.

Self-employment opportunities have also been enhanced through the 6,540 individual income generating activities initiated to-date through the Livelihood Support Activity component of the project.

The report said that the total project expenditure up to March 31, 2003 was Rs. 1,210 million which included Rs. 355 million for the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes, Rs. 285 million for community capacity building and Rs. 206 million for livelihood support activities.

BOI's investment promotion mission in Japan
A BOI team headed by Chairman/ Director General, Arjunna Mahendran including Wansasiri Abeywickrema, Manager (Promotion), BOI, visited Japan as part of an official and business delegation.

Mahendran briefed participants of the Sri Lanka Business Opportunities Seminar, where the chief guests were Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, G.L Peiris, Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy, Investment Promotion and Constitutional Affairs and Lord Brennan QC, international lawyer.

The presentation focused on the comparative advantage held by Sri Lanka, her advantageous investment climate and strategic location at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. It covered in detail the advantages Japanese investors could derive from the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement, giving them preferential access to India.

Also conducted were one to one meetings with a number of Japanese companies such as Lieb Frau Co Ltd, a manufacturer of quality cookies and importers of fine foods; FDK Corporation, already in Sri Lanka manufacturing electronic components: Fuji Conversions Company Ltd interested in the assembly of Computers in Sri Lanka and also in large scale housing projects; Toyo Corporation, engaged in large scale construction;and KRI International Corporation.

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