Canada has pledged full support for Sri Lanka’s rural poverty eradication efforts, following a meeting between High Commissioner Isabelle Martin and Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Dr. Upali Pannila in Colombo on Thursday.
Martin, who is Canada’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said Ottawa would help with the rollout of “Praja Shakthi,” the government’s flagship national poverty eradication programme, which the minister briefed her on during the meeting. The two sides also discussed strengthening social security schemes for elderly people and persons with disabilities.
The High Commissioner commended the government’s economic stabilisation work and its efforts to build a corruption-free governance culture, and acknowledged the strain placed on public services by Cyclone Ditwah and the recent Middle East crisis. Martin agreed to provide technical assistance for rural development and social security initiatives, without disclosing the size or duration of the financial component.
Pannila was joined at the meeting by his ministry’s secretary, Sampath Mantrinayake, alongside officials from the Canadian High Commission.
The pledge fits a broader pattern of bilateral support for Sri Lanka’s safety-net reforms, including Australia’s framework cooperation on social security delivery and EU-funded recovery work in Ditwah-affected districts. Canada had previously contributed to humanitarian aid following Cyclone Ditwah and remains one of Sri Lanka’s largest sources of Tamil-Canadian remittance flows.
The Ministry has not released a timeline or budget for the Praja Shakthi expansion that the Canadian assistance is intended to support.
Source: Ada Derana.
