US FY 2020 budget requests $ 32.5 m to support Sri Lanka

• Focus areas are economic development, demining and border security 

The United States Department of State’s FY 2020 budget requests a total of $ 32.58 million to support Sri Lanka’s economic development, demining and border control programs.

The US President Donald Trump upholding his commitment to protect the country and put American interests first, has requested $ 40 billion for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Department of State and US Agency for International Development (USAID) budget.

The proposed FY 2020 Budget requests $ 27.2 million under the Economic Support and Development Fund (ESDF). Programs under the ESDF will help countries of strategic importance meet near and long term political, economic, development, and security needs.

Under the Non-proliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs, the FY 2020 Budget seeks $ 5 million for Conventional Weapons Destruction which include humanitarian demining, small arms/light weapons (SA/LW) destruction, and efforts to improve the safety and storage of conventional munitions stockpiles.

Under the CWD program, the assistance will support efforts to safely and efficiently identify, remove, and neutralise remaining landmines and unexploded ordnance in contaminated areas in north and east Sri Lanka. The proposed FY 2020 Budget requests $ 380,000 for Sri Lanka under the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program.

The EXBS Program is designed to help countries develop and improve their strategic trade and related border control systems. The EXBS Program provides a wide range of technical assistance, from executive exchanges to training workshops to the provision of detection equipment and specialised training for border control and enforcement agencies.

Another $ 900,000 is requested for International Military Education and Training in FY 2020.

The FY 2020 Budget seeks $ 817.8 million under the ESDF to fund core national security objectives across South and Central Asia, including supporting a peaceful resolution to the Afghan conflict and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“Funding for South Asia will promote sustainable development to resist coercive economic practices and unsustainable debt; support energy generation and markets; and strengthen transparent governance and civil society participation,” the Congressional Budget Justification for Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs said.

Further $ 124.4 million is requested for South and Central Asia under the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement to control narcotics trade and enhance the security and stability in the region.