Pathfinder Foundation holds successful panel discussion on Compact with MCC

Saturday, 17 August 2019 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The panellists were

Verité Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel, former Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr. Palitha Kohona, well-known author and independent analyst Neville Ladduwahetty and Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute Executive Director

Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja

The Pathfinder Foundation (PF), a leading think tank in Sri Lanka conducted a successful panel discussion on the Compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US aid agency operational since 2004, held at the BMICH.

The success of the panel discussion was mainly due to the four eminent panellists, who contributed their knowledge on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and over 30 compacts MCC had been signed with 29 countries. The panellists were Verité Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel, former Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr. Palitha Kohona, well-known author and independent analyst Neville Ladduwahetty and Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute Executive Director Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja.

Sri Lanka stands to receive a grant of $ 480 million under the compact due to be signed with the MCC. Bulk of the grant amounting to $ 350 million is targeted for improving the transport sector and another $ 67 million on five projects under the land sector. Since 2004 to date the US has disbursed $ 14 billion with the objective of reducing poverty through economic growth. The objective of the Pathfinder Foundation was to ascertain whether the grant from the US directed at the transport and land sectors would actually help achieving that objective.

The conference room, where the panel discussion was held, was packed to capacity with high calibre participants, where the panellists discussed the pros and cons of the compact and its impact on the economy in general and the transport and land sectors in particular.

Pathfinder Foundation Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke acted as moderator of the panel discussion.

Participants of the MCC conference