Sri Lanka gets US help for business in former war zone

Aug 02, 2010 (LBO) - The United States aid agency has tied up with Sri Lankan businesses to set up clothing, construction and computing ventures that will create employment in the island's north, a statement said. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said US government support is expected to create 10,000 full-time jobs in northern Sri Lanka, which was battered by the ethnic war.

The 30-year war ended in May 2009, resulting in an economic revival in the former northern and eastern war zones as well as in the rest of the island.

"We are committed to helping conflict-affected communities return to normalcy through the creation of sustainable jobs and increased business opportunities," USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn said.

The USAID has forged four new business alliances with Sri Lankan private companies, under USAID’s Public/Private Alliance (PPA) Program.

USAID’s investment of about 1.1 billion rupees is generating an additional 2.9 billion rupees investment from the private sector for a total investment of about four billion rupees in the construction, business process outsourcing, and apparel manufacturing sectors.

An alliance between USAID and a Sri Lankan cons