No country has raised even 10% of the cost of disaster damage through donor conference: Bimal

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  

The government is planning to organise a donor conference, Leader of the House Minister Bimal Ratnayake said yesterday no country in the world had been able to raise even 10 per cent of the cost of the damage caused due to a natural disaster, through donors. The Minister told Parliament that in all natural disasters, no country including countries like Afghanistan, Philippines or America had raised even 10 percent of the cost of damages caused by disasters through donors.  

“However we intend holding a donor conference. We hope to raise some funds through it,’ he said.  The Minister alleged that the opposition was attempting to prevent people from donating funds to Sri Lanka for rebuilding purposes making various claims and added that however, people continue to donate funds.  

He said Rs. 6.8 billion had been received by the Rebuilding Fund by Monday (19).  

The Minister said opposition MPs such as Harsha De Silva claimed that a rebuilding fund had not been established and pointed out that the claims were false.  

“It is a half truth. We have established an official account in the Treasury to raise funds for rebuilding the country. People send money to it. It is legal,” he said.  

Minister Ratnayake said the government will establish the Rebuilding Fund through an Act in Parliament and that cabinet approval had been granted for the proposal.