Sri Lankan government says billions invested by UDA in programme to provide housing for shanty dwellers
Megapolis and Western Development Minister of Sri Lanka Patali Champika Ranawaka has reportedly said that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) has invested over Rs. 25 billion in 2018 and rolled out a programme targeting a Rs. 200 billion investment to provide housing for shanty dwellers.
Ranawaka has made this observation at the ceremony held to mark the 40th anniversary of the UDA.
According to the Minister, apart from the banks, no other state institution has invested in such a feat despite capacity.
“There has not been proper urban development in the country. Only about almost half of the country’s population has access to urban amnesties and facilities. However, only 1/5 of the population lives in urban centres, as per statistics given by the Census and Statistics Department,” he has been quoted as saying in the media.
The Minister has explained that one cannot decide urban population based on city boundaries, which is why formal statistics show that almost half of the population deals with urban needs, urban capacities and has access to urban facilities, which has led to complications in the responsibilities of the UDA.
Ranawaka has noted that the country has now gradually become an urban centre.
He has added that planned urban development promotes economic advancement of a country and that formal city planning is a must if Sri Lanka is to reach higher financial status.
OSL take:
The investment of billions of rupee by the government of Sri Lanka in the area of urban development would result in the development of urban centers island wide. These urban centers would in turn provide the necessary infrastructure facilities for foreign businesses/investors that are keen on setting up base in Sri Lanka. Interested foreign entities could also explore the possibility of taking part in Sri Lanka’s urban development programme as well.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20181003/Z_3 |