Finance Ministry releases MCC document to challenge Opposition criticism

The Finance Ministry this week released the 84-page draft Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) agreement in a bid to quell an ongoing Opposition campaign claiming that securing the grant was tantamount to sacrificing Sri Lanka’s sovereignty to the United States.

Discussions on the MCC grant first started in 2002, says a statement from Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Signing the contract entitles Sri Lanka to a sum of US$ 480mn or Rs 88,000mn. The Rajapaksa regime that assumed power in 2005 tried hard to get this grant, he maintains. As Foreign Minister of that administration, he too participated in relevant meetings on the instructions of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The effort proved futile because of various allegations levelled internationally against the previous Government. Now, as Opposition Leader, Mr Rajapaksa has created an unnecessary fear amongst the public regarding the MCC contract, Minister Samaraweera says. Yet he has not given details of what the negative impacts of the agreement are on Sri Lanka.

The Finance Minister challenged Mr Rajapaksa to provide clear information on how the MCC contract--which he said would provide financial benefit to Sri Lankans--is detrimental to the country without whipping up anti- American phobia for political gain.

But, so far, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has merely asked for the contract to be submitted to Parliament before signing. The task of whipping up mass hysteria has been delegated to various MPs, Minister Samaraweera observes.