This press release has been issued by the Royal Netherlands Embassy Colombo
30 april 2005
Overview
Structural bilateral development co-operation between Sri Lanka and The Netherlands started in the mid-seventies with financial aid and technical assistance. Since the nineties the program concentrated on Rural Development, Environment and Rehabilitation. For the coming period the budget available for the structural bilateral program amounts to approximately LKR One billion and two hundred million (EUR 10 million) per year. This budget will be invested in Peace Building, Environment, Private Sector development and some ongoing commitments in other sectors.
Apart from the development co-operation with the Government of Sri Lanka, there are many non-governmental development co-operation ties. Dutch NGO’s finance their Sri Lankan partner-organisations for approximately 2 million Euro per year. Via private sector mixed credits and special programs as ORET, PSOM, NMCP approximately 4 million Euro grant money annually are invested in Sri Lanka. The fellowship program selects on average 40 Sri Lankan short- and long-term scholars to study in the Netherlands.
On top of these structural development co-operation ties The Netherlands provides Tsunami aid via the Ports Authorities and the Sri Lanka Railway Company. Donations of Dutch private citizens for the Tsunami victims amount to well over EUR 200 million (Rupees Two billion and four hundred million) for the Tsunami affected region. A fair share of this aid will be allocated to Sri Lanka.
Peace Building
The Asian Development Bank’s North East Community Restoration and Development (NECORD) program is co-funded among others, by The Netherlands. The Dutch contribution is earmarked for Unified Assistance Scheme payments, equipment for Agricultural Service Centres and technical assistance for fisheries credit schemes. Title of the program: Support to Internally Displaced Persons, duration November 2003 till December 2004, total amount LKR three hundred and twenty eight million (EUR 3 million.).
The Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies’ (CHA) National Programme on Peace and Development is funded from November 2003 till October 2005 for a total amount of LKR forty nine million (EUR 450.000). This program provides small scale funding to NGO’s and CBO’s for local initiatives. ZOA Refugee Care is funded for Community Rehabilitation activities in the Northeast to the tune of LKR eighty two million (EUR 750.000) for the period September 2002 – May 2005. The Netherlands will consider contributing to the North-East Rehabilitation Fund (NERF) once it becomes operational.
Environment
In the environment sector we closely co-operate with the Asian Development Bank in co-funding government programs. The Coastal resources management program is co-funded for a total amount of LKR one billion three hundred and eighty eight million (EUR 12.7 million) and runs from July 2000 till December 2006. The Protected area management program is co-funded to the tune of LKR four hundred and thirty seven million (EUR 4 million), it started in august 2001 and is scheduled to be finalised by July 2007. The ADB credits are used for investments in infrastructure, the Dutch grant money is used for institutional capacity building. As a sequel to this programs the Ministry of Environment and the Central Environmental Authority receive support for institutional capacity development in the environment sector with an emphasis on capacity building at district and community levels. This LKR three hundred and twenty eight million (EUR 3 million) program has been signed off in October 2003 and will be finalised in December 2006. Capacity building and Advocacy Programme of IUCN-SL has been provided with LKR twenty eight million (US$ 282,000) for a period of 3 years starting from 1st March 2002 to 31st December 2005. A research programme on Bio-diversity in Uda Walawe area, which is being implemented by IWMI with the assistance of IUCN-SL and Mahaweli Authority, is provided with LKR sixty nine million (US$ 700,000) for a period of 3 years starting from 15th November 2002.
Other programs
Sri Lanka and The Netherlands co-operate actively in such divers areas as private sector development, the preservation of our mutual cultural heritage and public finance management. The longstanding and fruitful co-operation with the Plantation Housing and Development Trust and with the Institute for Policy Studies will come to a close by 2005.
General information on Dutch development co-operation can be found on the web-site of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 
www.minbuza.nl.
