Sri Lanka to get Rs. 383 m Japanese grant to boost human resources development

The Government has received Cabinet approval to sign an agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to obtain a grant of Japanese Yen 265 million (Rs. 383 million), in order to implement another phase of the Human Resources Development Scholarship Program.

The Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resources Development Scholarship Program was introduced in Sri Lanka in 2010 by the Japanese Government in order to provide opportunities to executive level public officials of Sri Lanka to enrol in Master’s degree programs at prominent universities in Japan. By now, 135 officers have been given the opportunity to pursue their studies under two frameworks in this program. The first framework was implemented from 2010-2013 and the second framework from 2014-2017.

In response to a request made by the Sri Lankan Government, the Japanese Government has expressed its willingness to continue this program for the next four years.

Under this program, 15 scholarships for Post Graduate Degree courses each year and two scholarships for the doctoral degree for the next four years have been proposed.

Accordingly, the proposal made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to sign an agreement with JICA to obtain the Japanese Yen 265 million grant aid was approved by Cabinet.

The Sri Lankan Government expects that the public officers who will benefit under this program will contribute to the social and economic development of the country. The program is also expected to contribute to strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries.