Press Release

On 31st August 2022, the detailed discussion on the progress and way forward was held on the ongoing technical cooperation project named "Project for Capacity Development for Effective Public Investment Management" between the Department of National Planning, Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies (NPD) and JICA at the 2nd Joint Coordination Committee, chaired by Mr. R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri, Director-General of the NPD. JICA will work further together with NPD to improve public investment management (PIM) for economic revival of Sri Lanka.

JICA had dispatched Strategic Planning Adviser (2014-2017) and Planning Advisor (2018-2020) to NPD with a view to developing human resources for planning and appraisal of public work projects. For seeking more comprehensive improvement of PIM, JICA mobilized Japanese Experts Team since June 2021 upon the request from NPD. Against the severeness of project environment due to COVID-19 and the current crisis, NPD and JICA developed the detailed plan and would accelerate our cooperative actions in order to improve PIM process in alignment with budgeting process, to develop a system for efficient project appraisal, and to develop the capacity to handle the improved PIM process.

Mr. Yamada Tetsuya, Chief Representative, JICA Sri Lanka Office, mentioned that "This project is one of the key projects, particularly under the current severe economic crisis. Building the trust among the public and the international community towards sustainable, transparent, accountable, consistent, effective and efficient (both in terms of process and value for money) public investment management is crucially important for the economic recovery at this juncture. I wish the improvement of PIM process through our project could help these challenges."