SL received $ 185 m to combat COVID-19 outbreak

Friday, 3 July 2020 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Bulk of funds came as part of World Bank assistance, other donations
$ 8 m in medicines also donated, PM tells Cabinet
Assistance aimed at improving emergency preparedness, public healthcare system

The Cabinet this week was informed that $ 185 million was given to Sri Lanka by several organisations including the World Bank to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Finance Minister updated the Cabinet of Ministers on the funds that had been pledged and partly released when they met on Wednesday.

Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said Prime Minister Rajapaksa had given the update in relation to funds received up to 12 June. These included grants, loans and material donations such as medicines that were received by the Government from a variety of bilateral and multilateral stakeholders. Most of these were for the Government to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Accordingly, the World Bank agreed to provide $ 128.6 million to prepare and equip emergency response and preparation of the public healthcare system to competently respond to the COVID-19 infections in Sri Lanka while another $ 45 million was pledged under the social security network project.

“The Cabinet of Ministers paid attention to the fact that both $ 57.5 million out of the agreed amount under the project to prepare the health systems for COVID-19 as well as the provision of $ 45 million agreed under the social security network project have been received by the Government now,” Gunawardena said.

In addition to that, the Cabinet of Ministers was informed that donations to the value of about $ 75 million and a stock of material goods to the value of $ 8 million were also received by the Government. These include two medicine consignments from the Indian Government and other assistance from a multitude of donors, Gunawardena added.