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Decision on MCC after polls

16 June 2020 09:30 pm - 18     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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A decision on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement will be taken after the Parliamentary election in August, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz said.

In an online discussion with a group of journalists, the Ambassador said that the US respects President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to review the grant proposal.

She said that the agreement remained stalled following the Constitutional crisis in Sri Lanka in 2018 and with the Government now in a transition period the US is awaiting some of that transition to complete with the Parliamentary election.

The Ambassador said that the grant focuses on transportation and land administration.

“As a grant agreement, it’s a fixed term grant for five years to execute the projects that are part of the grant. It doesn’t have a life beyond that time frame,” she noted.

The Ambassador also said that there needs to be accountability when spending such money and that is why there is a framework.

The cabinet had decided in February that Sri Lanka will not sign the US$ 480 million MCC agreement in its current form.

Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena had said at the time that a committee appointed by the Government to review the agreement had submitted its recommendations, which was presented to the cabinet.

Mr. Gunawardena said the committee had found that some clauses in the agreement are harmful to Sri Lanka’s Constitution and National security.

The committee had proposed that the agreement not be signed in its current form and instead be amended and submitted to the public and Parliament for it to be considered.  (Easwaran Rutnam)


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  Comments - 18

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  • BigEars Tuesday, 16 June 2020 10:09 PM

    This nice Madam. Thanks for the information. Now the buds will fade before it may bloom.

    TONY Tuesday, 16 June 2020 10:17 PM

    NO ONE ASKED THE US HC. OUR GOVT SPOKESMAN WILL MAKE THE NECESSARY ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Ma Tuesday, 16 June 2020 10:18 PM

    NO Problem WE Will SIGN EIGHTH OF AUGUST

    Sen Tuesday, 16 June 2020 10:28 PM

    Whole world condemned the thuggish, high handed attitude of US officials,latest scene is forcibly enter to the country by a corona infested US diplomat,this happened before signing MCC ,after signing we can't imgine their would ne behavior

    dickie bird Tuesday, 16 June 2020 10:37 PM

    Pack up and get back to America with the MCC. Alaina, this Government do not want a MCC. U can deal with the people who wanted MCC if and when those people come to power. America is burning. Get back

    Sajith Tuesday, 16 June 2020 11:01 PM

    LOL. Who are you fooling, this was being conducted in secret with your Yahapalanya ready to rubber stamp it until it got leaked to the media (so much so for Yahapalanya's "right to information" act) and that is why it got stalled. GR government told you to piss off (diplomatically) now you are hoping for your Yahapalanya to make a come back in the up coming GE (good luck with that) so you can have this shoved through. Also WHO in SL asked for this? Only the US is adamantly pushing this, why?

    gammini Tuesday, 16 June 2020 11:21 PM

    America is the only superpower in human history that does not have a language of its own. Yet Americans want to control the world.

    Jeeves Tuesday, 16 June 2020 11:38 PM

    We have all seen how the US diplomat challenged, undermined and refused our national policies at the airport. Imagine how we would be treated if we sign the MCC! Sovereignty must never be compromised!

    ravin Tuesday, 16 June 2020 11:42 PM

    We know very well you all have a ulterior motive behind the scene. We prefer first you look into you own countrymen and their families interest who are effected from coronavirus.

    GHarry Wednesday, 17 June 2020 12:14 AM

    If the general public and government of Sri Lanka never wish to have MCC with the US govt. why shouldn't the US cancel the proposed agreement to look for their own business? We have the support of the powerful economy of the world and its One Road One Belt project which also developed Sri Lanka during HE Mahinda Rajapaksa regime between 2005 to December 2014.

    Pantha Kumaran Wednesday, 17 June 2020 12:27 AM

    Once the election is over the Rajapakses will sign the agreement. Wimal Weerawansa, who is anti Tamils, Muslims and USA should come very clean on this agreement before the election. As long as Wimal is in power there is no future for the country.

    Kenneth Wednesday, 17 June 2020 03:35 AM

    Please understand that Sri Lanka is not an American colony! Once US lost Diego Garcia Air Base, they are spending burrowed money to build bigger and naval air bases to control the region. In economic terms America is not a rich country as the total loans exceeding trillions, so please spend this money for the development of health system in USA. If MCC is continued in Sri Lanka, there will be Floyd incidents almost every day, as the MCC agreement gives power to US troupes unprecedented powers.

    Jayasiri Deshabandu Wednesday, 17 June 2020 04:26 AM

    US has a bad human rights records and it cannot be trusted. MCC is a Ghost!

    Ups Wednesday, 17 June 2020 05:43 AM

    69million vote base would be no more,if government decide to have American money with selfish strings attached

    Kim Wednesday, 17 June 2020 07:43 AM

    Don't make too much noise about the MCC until the elections are over . Please have some patience. Don't put the Rajapaksa Government in an awkward position now that it is virtually signed and sealed.

    Jayt Wednesday, 17 June 2020 08:20 AM

    But your bogus heroes are double game players. These bogus heroes already run a dictatorship government daily guided by global spies stationed in Colombo. Ready latest Tamil spy article under name Jayaraj which was indirect message from global spies

    Meera S Wednesday, 17 June 2020 12:16 PM

    Uncle Sam, do you know that SL is a part of China now a days

    RP Wednesday, 17 June 2020 08:33 PM

    Dear Ambassador, please don't mind the comments made by the patriots of this magnificient Island. Our country produces more Patriots per Capita than anyother country in the world. The government is in dire need of the US$ and will sign as soon as the Election is done. Cheers.


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