Sri Lanka to get World Bank support in implementing policies to reduce poverty

Feb 24, 2015 (LBO) – World Bank’s vice president for the South Asia Region Annette Dixon said the Bank would partner with the government to help shape and implement policies aimed at reducing poverty, improving shared prosperity and promoting sustainable growth. The Government has laid out an ambitious reform agenda aimed at improving governance, transparency and accountability and establishing strong institutions for that purpose within its first 100 days, Dixon said in a statement.

This is no small feat and the bank stands ready to provide support to the government to help achieve these goals.

During her visit to Sri Lanka, Dixon met with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, the Finance Minister and the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs.

The World Bank’s total net commitments in Sri Lanka stand at 1.7 billion dollars as of January 2015 and the bank is active in fourteen projects throughout the country currently.

The World Bank Group’s private sector development arm, IFC's total committed portfolio for Sri Lanka stood at 552 million dollars as of January 2015, including a 250 million US dollar investment mobilized from partner institutions.

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