World Bank commends the progress of Sri Lanka poverty alleviation programs

World Bank Vice President South Asia Region Dr. Hartwig Schafer with President Maithripala Sirisena 

The World Bank has commended the progress achieved in the programs launched by Sri Lanka to alleviate poverty among rural masses.

World Bank Vice President South Asia Region Dr. Hartwig Schafer, who was on a brief visit to Sri Lanka, called on President Maithripala Sirisena at President’s Official Residence in Colombo on Friday.

During the meeting with the President the World Bank official said the poverty among the rural masses in Sri Lanka has come down as a result of the poverty alleviation programs implemented by the President.

Schafer said the World Bank has recognised Sri Lanka as a nation gradually reaching its target of becoming a high-income economy through a systematic approach. He said it is happy to know that the per capita income in Sri Lanka has reached $ 4,000.

The World Bank official agreed to a request made by the President for assistance from the World Bank for a tank renovation program.

He said the World Bank as a partner of more than 60 years, stands ready to support the Sri Lankan Government make progress in health, education and poverty reduction.

The President thanked the World Bank for the continuous support extended to Sri Lanka to minimise the impact of the climate change.

During his three-day visit, the Vice President also met with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera and several senior Government and non-Government officials. He also interacted with community groups, project officials, private sector, development partners, and civil society groups and completed a field visit to learn about a planned project to mitigate flood risk in Colombo.