JICA Sri Lanka Office

Welcome to the JICA Sri Lanka Web page!

Japan and Sri Lanka have a long history of cooperation, spanning more than half a century. Aid for Sri Lanka began in 1954, focusing on technical cooperation. In 1969, Japan began providing grant aid, then from 1976 it began to contribute with Japanese ODA loans and has been supporting Sri Lanka’s socioeconomic development ever since. Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, who have been going to Sri Lanka since 1981 to provide assistance, continue to work to improve the public welfare at the grassroots level.

As Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral support donor, Japan has thus far been proactively lending its support in many areas: developing the economic infrastructure, fostering human resources and repairing the damage caused by tidal waves and human conflict. Sri Lanka has traditionally held a pro-Japanese stance and the two countries have built a strong partnership.

Compared to other South Asian countries, Sri Lanka maintains a high level of education, a high life expectancy and a low infant mortality rate. At the same time, however, it is a country which faces many development issues. Despite socioeconomic progress, there are still pronounced disparities among Sri Lankan regions, and it is hoped that aid will be given to improve the infrastructure and alleviate poverty. Furthermore, a more than a quarter-century of ethnic conflict have taken their toll on the country, and Sri Lanka is seeking support for building peace through various initiatives intended to combat development issues.

Based on the cooperative framework established in Sri Lanka so far, we at the new JICA will work towards greater efficiency and efficacy in the going forward, through a combination of technical cooperation, Japanese ODA loan and grant aid, as well as collaboration with aid agencies, private enterprises and non-governmental organizations in other countries.

We hope you enjoy this site. Here you can find details of JICA’s current and past work in Sri Lanka. As an organization, we pay great attention to the feedback we receive and strive to be constantly improving. I hope you will stop by our office when you have an opportunity.

Akira Shimura, Resident Representative
JICA Sri Lanka Office