Sri Lanka gets US support for business in former war zone

Apr 20, 2010 (LBO) - The US Agency for International Development has tied up with Sri Lanka’s private sector to support new businesses in the former war zone that will generate employment, the aid agency said. The USAID Public-Private Partnerships for Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka Program is expected to create the equivalent of 5,000 full-time jobs in the former conflict zones.

The aid agency said it is partnering with five local businesses in aquaculture, apparel manufacturing, logistics, and horticulture.

"USAID’s investment of about 600 million rupees will generate an additional 1,400 million rupees investment from the private sector for a total of about two billion rupees."

A ready-made garment plant to be set up in Omanthai, near Vavuniya in the Northern Province, in an alliance between USAID and a leading garment manufacturing and export company will create 1,000 jobs for refugees, including young widows.

A ready-made garment factory will also be built by a local garment company in Samanthurai in the Ampara district with 15-20 machine lines and employing more than 1,000 employees.

Another alliance between USAID and a Sri Lankan aquaculture company will expand high value sea