Project scope options if the Government wishes to accept the MCC Grant

Cabinet, having approved a proposal by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to suspend the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant agreement, has appointed a four-member committee headed by Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan to study the deal and propose further action. 

If the Government, based on the Gunaruwan Committee findings, decides to proceed with the acceptance of the MCC grant, subject to the project scope being amended from the presently agreed three focus areas, the undernoted three projects are recommended for consideration by the Government and MCC, being sustainably value added substitute projects, which will touch the majority of citizens, especially poor and marginalised rural families; and be capable of advancing their livelihoods and future growth and prosperity options:  

1. Projects developed leveraging on advanced technology and best practices of irrigation supportive water resource management to optimise and enhance effective rain water harvesting, collection and storage opportunities island-wide in a manner facilitating increased

a.Hydro-power generation options

b.Agricultural and agro-industrial use 

c.   Rural water homestead supply sourcing 

2. A project establishing advanced technology and best practices embedded in an agro-industrial research, development and innovation centre of excellence; associated with a research and training university and an agro-industrial park 

3. A project centred around the development of cost-effective business models to provide commercial options leveraging advanced technology and best practice solutions, to optimise renewable energy from solar, wind, wave and hydro options, to capture associated generation, storage and distribution at the mega, medium and micro level via the collective cluster village level.

With such sustainable development options being available to the Government and MCC to add long-term value to a target group of youth and householders, especially in the rural areas of Sri Lanka, who are in expectation of such much-needed livelihood support, it will truly be a shame to throw away such an opportunity.