China extends Rs. 16.5 b grant for Sri Lanka

Wang Xiaotao

S.R Artigalle

• Funds to be utilised with a high priority for medical care, education, water supply, etc. in rural areas

Sri Lanka and China on Friday signed an agreement on economic and technical cooperation between providing RMB 600 million (Rs. 16.5 billion) in grant assistance. It was signed by China International

Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Chairman Wang Xiaotao and Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle on the sidelines of the CPC Member of Political Bureau Yang Jiechi’s visit to the island nation. Both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa extended their sincere appreciation on behalf of the Government and people to the Chinese side for this urgently-needed assistance.

Mutually agreed by both sides, the timely grant from the Chinese Government and her people will be utilised with a high priority for medical care, education, water supply, etc., in rural areas of Sri Lanka, so as to contribute to the well-being of her people in a post-COVID era. 

During the meeting, Yang Jiechi and Premier Rajapaksa went through other Chinese grant projects, such as the National Nephrology (Kidney Disease) Hospital in Polonnaruwa and the new Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the National Hospital in Colombo, etc., and expressed their satisfaction with the good progress despite the COVID-19 pandemic.