Video: ADB or Japanese aid for Northern Expressway: Ranil

14 May 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said torday that financial assistance would be sought from Japan or the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the construction of the northern expressway.

He said the contracts would be awarded afresh once the financial assistance was secured.

Mr. Wickremesinghe told a meeting at UNP headquarters Sirikotha that the government could not put the people into difficulty by awarding the contracts to those who had given commissions to authorities of the previous regime in exchange of the contracts.

He said this was because the costs for most of this development work had been over estimated.

He said the plan of the previous regime was to increase taxes to generate funds to meet these expenses.

“We cannot help these contractors to reach heaven by lighting their way but our intention is to light the way for the people towards prosperity,” he said.

However he said the intention of the government was to seek the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for this project.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said the Northern Highway projects also fell into this category.

However, the Prime Minister said the government had managed to come to a settlement with the contractors with regard to some development work which will begin shortly. (Yohan Perera)

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Video: ADB or Japanese aid for Northern Expressway: Ranil

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