Annette Dixon, World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region and Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives in conversation with an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) at a welfare camp in Jaffna. Photo by Mok

ty areas for the country to focus on and address. The challenges identified were for Sri Lanka to improve its budget and tax position, create more jobs for the bottom 40 per cent of the population, expand opportunities for women and minorities to take part in society, and improving governance. A key issue identified was the so-called “sustainability challenge”: making sure past grievances did not reignite conflict, addressing the economic problems caused by an aging population, and anticipating the risks posed by climate change.

We followed up by identifying potential reforms and areas of collaboration in a partnership strategy to help address these challenges through a consultative process with the public and policy makers. It sets out a programme of research, assistance, and investments by the World Bank and its partners to support the country toward realising its goals of greater competitiveness, social inclusion, and sustainability. Improving fiscal stability and competitiveness through improving public financial management and modernization of its systems, attracting greater foreign investment, and fostering private sector growth. Promoting inclusion and opportunities for all through better distributing the benefits of the country’s growth to all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalised. Boosting green growth, improving environmental management, while mitigating natural disasters and the effects of climate change. This includes urban development that minimises environmental impact, strengthening climate change and natural disaster resilience, developing renewable energy sources and better managing its natural resources. Sri Lanka is well poised to make the most of its development potential as long as it works with all of its people and makes sure that no one is left behind in benefitting from growth and prosperity.

Building on the World Bank’s six decades of partnership with Sri Lanka that dates back to 1953, we commit to working ever more closely together on development projects, knowledge, and assistance along with other partners. We all want to help Sri Lanka realise its goals of reducing poverty and increasing prosperity for all and to fulfil its promise of an inclusive and prosperous country.

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