World Bank South Asia Region Vice President visits Sri Lanka

Multilateral agency’s current support portfolio consists of $1.8 b in financing commitments

The World Bank South Asia Region Vice President Annette Dixon arrived on Sunday on an official two-day visit to Sri Lanka. 

During her stay, she will be meeting with senior Government officials and visiting the World Bank supported projects in the Northern Province. This is her third visit to Sri Lanka since taking office in December 2014.

“I look forward to my first visit to the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and meeting with key officials as well as civil society representatives to receive a first-hand account of the development progress and how the bank’s support can have maximum impact,” said Dixon. “Sri Lanka’s journey towards higher growth and prosperity will require progress across all provinces,” stressed Dixon.

Dixon will be visiting World Bank supported projects aimed at enhancing economic growth and development. The visit will cover projects supporting local government service delivery, Jaffna city development priorities and opportunities to modernise agriculture in the Northern Province – witha focus on creating livelihood opportunities and increasing productivity.

She will be meeting with senior officials includingMinister of FinanceRavi Karunanayake, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Indrajit CoomaraswamyandNorthern Province Chief Minister Justice C. V. Vigneswaranand other officials.

“During these meetings, I hope to continue discussions that I have previously had with government to further our collaboration. As Sri Lanka’s largest development partner for over 60 years, the World Bank looks forward to building upon this established collaboration and to continue supporting Sri Lanka’s ambitious development agenda.” said Dixon. 

"Sri Lanka’s journey towards higher growth and prosperity will require progress across all provinces - World Bank South Asia Region 

Vice President Annette Dixon"

Since the World Bank Group’s first development credit to Sri Lanka for the Aberdeen-LakshapanaPower Project in 1954, the institution has become one of Sri Lanka’s largest development partners. It has worked closely to support the country’s progress including education, health, urban development, agriculture, transport and environmental protection. 

The World Bank Group’s activities are guided by a Country Partnership Framework (CPF) which is agreed upon with the Government of Sri Lanka. The CPF will guide the collaboration for the next four years until June 2020.  The World Bank’s current portfolio consists of $1.8 billion in financing commitments.

Dixon, a national of New Zealand, was formerly Director, Strategic Planning in the Budget, Performance Review and Strategic Planning Vice Presidency. Her career at the World Bank has included two senior positions as Country Director for Central Asia and South East Asia that have given her broad and deep experience with sectors, countries and management issues within the World Bank Group.