Sunday Sep 14, 2025
Sunday Sep 14, 2025
Friday, 12 September 2025 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Netherlands has approved an additional grant of € 730,000 to support Sri Lanka’s Design and Construction of Rural Bridges Project, a flagship initiative aimed at improving rural connectivity and livelihoods.
The fresh funding comes at a critical stage of the Project, which has already achieved 96% physical progress, with 151 of the planned 162 bridges completed as of September 2025. The remaining bridges are scheduled for completion by February 2026, marking the full delivery of a program designed to ease mobility, improve market access, and enhance the quality of life in rural communities across the country.
The Project was originally financed under a € 41.8 million loan agreement with Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. of the Netherlands, covering 75% of costs. The remaining 25%, amounting to € 13.9 million, was initially funded through a grant from the Netherlands Foreign Investment Bank ‘Invest International.’
Recognising the economic challenges faced by Sri Lanka, the Netherlands increased its grant contribution in 2024 to approximately 35% of the total project cost, an increase of around €5.3 million. This adjustment enabled the partial cancellation of the undisbursed loan balance and further eased the country’s debt burden.
With the latest contribution, the Netherlands’ total grant assistance now stands over € 18.9 million (€18,912,335.72), representing 37% of the overall project cost, a significant shift from the initial arrangement.
In recognition of this generous support, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma expressed his sincere appreciation to the Government of the Netherlands for its sustained partnership during a meeting with Acting Ambassador of the Netherlands Iwan Rutjens held on Wednesday (10) at the Ministry.
Ambassador Rutjens, in turn, reaffirmed the Netherlands’ continued commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s development priorities. He also indicated that the Netherlands was open to exploring further concessional financing for future projects.
