The Sri Lankan government to take measures for expediting the implementation of projects which are being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Sri Lankan President’s office said in a statement. 

The move came after Reed J. Aeschlimen, the director of the USAID in Sri Lanka, had a meeting with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday. During the meeting, ongoing projects funded by the US were discussed. 

Reed also raised the issue of delay in several projects. Works on some of the projects are stalled now for various reasons. The duo agreed to examine the factors behind the delay and complete the projects expeditiously

The US  has been providing development and humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka in the areas of agriculture, environment, and natural resources, health, education, business development and trade, good governance, and humanitarian assistance. 

Recently, USAID has provided medical assistance worth more than $ 6 million to Sri Lanka for the Covid-19 response. Rajapaksa, in the meeting, appreciated the role the US has been playing in boosting the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

(SAM)