World Bank kicks off public consultation for Country Partnership Framework 2023-2026

The World Bank Group (WBG) has kicked off public consultation for the Sri Lanka Country Partnership Framework 2023-26.

The public consultation is part of WBG’s broad range of stakeholders – with representatives from Government, international financial institutions, civil society organisations, think tanks, academia, and the private sector – to exchange views on opportunities for Sri Lanka’s inclusive and sustainable economic recovery and development, and how it can help.

In preparing the Country Partnership Framework (CPF), the WBG said it remains conscious of Sri Lanka’s challenging context and the limited financial resources available. 

The CPF is selective – it focuses on specific objectives to support the country’s greatest development needs, where the Government sees a catalytic role for the WBG’s support, and where the WBG can add distinct value.

The CPF aims to assist Sri Lanka in restoring economic stability and building a stronger foundation for green, resilient, and inclusive development and recovery, while protecting poor and vulnerable populations. The CPF is aligned with the Government’s immediate and medium-term strategic priorities.

To this end, the WBG will also support foundational reforms to strengthen macroeconomic stability and sustainability, mitigate the impact of current and future shocks on the poor and vulnerable, and foster an inclusive and private-sector-led recovery and growth path.

The CPF will focus on two high-level objectives: Supporting resilient, inclusive, and robust economic growth and Protecting and enhancing human and natural capital.

In addition, improving governance and green growth will be a cross-cutting theme that will guide all WBG activities in Sri Lanka.

The CPF is informed by the recently updated Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) for Sri Lanka, the latest Development Update, and analyses of challenges and development opportunities in the country.

Public consultations for the CPF will include virtual and face-to-face meetings with different stakeholders, including the Government, international financial institutions, civil society, and the private sector.

Those interested stakeholders can also provide feedback through an online consultation platform (https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/single/fVYCrpKp) until 29 March 2023 in English, Sinhala and Tamil. Responses will be strictly confidential and anonymous, and only aggregated information will be used.

WBG said the objective of the online consultation is to seek broader feedback and comments from interested stakeholders, both local and international, on the direction and scope of the new CPF as outlined in this presentation on the Sri Lanka Country Partnership Framework 2023-2026.