President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that starting from the next fiscal year, each district will receive a decentralized budget based on the number of seats available. He made this announcement during the Special District Coordination Committee (DCC) meeting in the Badulla District on the 16th of yesterday.
In addition to this, the Upcountry program, which aims to support isolated mountain villages, has already begun. Each divisional secretariat will receive 10 million as part of this program. There are plans to gradually increase this support in the future.
The financial allocations to provincial councils will contribute to the overall funding available for each district. Capital expenditure at the ministry level and foreign aid-supported projects will also be integrated into the funding structure. President Wickremesinghe emphasized that this comprehensive approach, combining resources from various sources, aims to start the work by July 2024.
The President also expressed his plans to establish committees at the provincial level that will collaborate with district development committees. These committees, consisting of district chairpersons, members, and officers, will oversee development activities in their respective divisional secretariats. Provincial Council projects will be initiated through the Governor, while Central Government projects will be managed by relevant institutions.
The President aims to begin implementing these initiatives by July of the upcoming year.
He highlighted the lack of progress in the country’s development over the past three years, citing halted projects such as highway construction. However, with successful collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), development projects are expected to resume in a systematic manner. The support and acknowledgment from creditors such as the Paris Organization, India, and China have paved the way for renewed discussions and foreign aid.
The President intends to provide regular updates on the progress of these projects.
