Oct 12, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister said that the 2018 budget is aimed at creating a robust, flourishing and modern economy and will focus on a start – up culture of “empowering the private sector”.
Minister Mangala Samaraweera made this comment following a meeting with the Director for South Asia of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank, Mengistu Alemayehu, on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund/World Bank, Wednesday.
The Minister is scheduled to present his maiden Budget next month as the Minister of Finance.
The IFC said that it will support infrastructure development, eco-tourism and affordable housing initiatives in Sri Lanka.
The two parties held wide ranging discussions and focused on ways and means of enhancing mutual cooperation to promote private sector contribution for the economic development of Sri Lanka.
Minister Samaraweera commended the cooperation extended by the IFC towards promoting the private sector contribution for the development of the country’s economy at a time where the government has accorded high priority to private sector involvement in the economy by way of Public Private Partnerships.
The Sri Lankan delegation included Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva, Senior Advisor to the Finance Ministry Mano Tittawella, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury S.R. Attygalle, Additional Director General Ajith Abeysekara and Hemantha Pubudusiri, director of the External Resources Department.