Japan provides grant of 300 Million Yen to improve waste management infrastructure under ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ Program

Japan has extended a grant of 300 million Japanese Yen (approximately LKR 565 million) to Sri Lanka to enhance waste management infrastructure facilities under the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ Program.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the grant was signed yesterday (03) at the Presidential Secretariat in the presence of President Anura Kumara Disanayake. The agreement was signed by IKUINA Akiko, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Japan and Secretary to the Ministry of Finance,  Mahinda Siriwardana, the Presidential Secretariat said.

This grant will be utilized to enhance the waste management capacity of local government authorities in the Western, Northern, and Eastern Provinces by funding to procure 28 garbage compactors, enhancing the country’s waste transport capacity. The allocation of vehicles will be as follows Western Province – 14 trucks, Eastern Province – 8 trucks and Northern Province – 6 trucks.

Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. IKUINA Akiko, stated that current government’s anti-corruption initiatives have attracted the country’s global appeal for investment. She made these remarks with President Disanayake while reaffirming Japan’s commitment to further support Sri Lanka’s development efforts, the statement said.

The Government of Japan also expressed its willingness to continue assisting Sri Lanka in its anti-corruption measures and broader governance reforms. During the discussion Vice Minister SAYAMA delivered a message of goodwill from the Prime Minister of Japan to President Anura Kumara Disanayake.

In response, President Disanayake expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for its on-going cooperation and highlighted the long-standing friendship between the two nations. He assured that Sri Lanka would continue to uphold its anti-corruption policies without compromise and emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency and good governance.

The President also thanked Japan for resuming previously halted Japan-funded projects in Sri Lanka and acknowledged Japan’s support in the country’s debt restructuring process.

President Disanayake also expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for providing employment opportunities to a large number of Sri Lankan expatriates and requested the Japanese government to provide further assistance in developing those opportunities in the future. Additionally, he requested Japan’s assistance in implementing a project to improve Sri Lanka’s public transportation system through Japanese aid.