Opening speeches underline sharp differences in the thinking of a typical third world country and donors

The opening speeches at Sri Lanka's annual aid and policy review conference, underlined the sharp differences in the thinking of a typical third world country and donors who try to prevent governments from following policies that impoverish its citizens.











The opening speeches at Sri Lanka's annual aid and policy review conference, underlined the sharp differences in the thinking of a typical third world country and donors who try to prevent governments from following policies that impoverish its citizens. The World Bank has been trying hard to persuade the government to come up with a sensible economic strategy to take the country forward after a previous donor backed plan was thrown out, in favour a home-grown subsidy-based strategy that sent inflation soaring and pushed the country towards a balance of payments crisis.

"As your development partners we look to the government to provide a sound macro-economic framework into which we provide our financial support," World Bank's Vice President for South Asia said addressing the Sri Lanka Development Forum in the hill capital of Kandy.

"The rebuilding of Sri Lanka in a successful attack on poverty require a economic stability...

The development partners hope to learn more about your economic policy pla