{"id":108584,"date":"2020-11-12T16:39:59","date_gmt":"2020-11-12T23:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=108584"},"modified":"2020-11-12T16:40:30","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T23:40:30","slug":"the-pohottuwa-government-of-sri-lanka-part-2-c8b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/11\/12\/the-pohottuwa-government-of-sri-lanka-part-2-c8b\/","title":{"rendered":"THE POHOTTUWA GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA Part 2 C8b"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The Prime Minister office made a statement on the MCC project in June 2019. The statement was made public. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The statement said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government of Sri Lanka, with the help of the Center for\nInternational Development (CID) at Harvard University, conducted constraints\nanalysis to identify constrains which hampered the economic growth in the\ncountry and identified three binding constraints, 1. Access to land 2. Weakness\nin transport and logistics infrastructure and planning and 3. Policy\ninstability.   Yahapalana government then decided to focus\non\nthe two of these, access to land and improvement in transport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government of Sri Lanka and MCC then consulted with hundreds\nof individuals from government, the private sector, and civil society in small\ngroup discussions and one-on-one meetings to understand the root causes of the\ntransport and land binding constraints and potential activities that would\naddress those root causes. The Government of Sri Lanka and MCC also launched multiple rounds of\ndiscussion to identify potential projects that could meet MCC\u2019s investment\ncriteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the basis of such engagements and analyses, the Government of\nSri Lanka submitted project proposals to MCC for consideration in November\n2017. There were\ntwo sets of projects, Transport Projects and Land Projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACTIVITIES PROPOSED UNDER THE TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Establishing an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS)\ncovering the Colombo Metropolitan area to improve the efficiency, capacity and\nsafety of the CMA road network to improve flow rate, reduce travel time and\ncongestion, reduce traffic emission and reduce accidents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Bus Transport Sector Modernization (BTSM) programme will make a\nsignificant improvement to the speed and quality of the public bus system\ncombining state owned and private buses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Developing and improvement of 137 km road sections in the\nCentral Ring Road (CRR) covering and connecting Sabaragamuwa, Uva, North\nCentral and Central Provinces to markets in the Western Province. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 4) Connected to this Road\ndevelopment is a study to locate and finance, locations for wholesale storage\nof Agro produce in collaboration with private investors at locations on the CRR\nRoad network, to improve post-harvest management of produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACTIVITIES  PROPOSED UNDER THE LAND ADMINISTRATION\nPROJECT: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  5) \nPreparation of Parcel Fabric map and inventory of state land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6)   \nImprovement of Deeds Registry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7)   \nImprovements of the land valuation system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8)   \nLand Grants Registration and Deed Conversion Activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9)   Land Policy and Legal Governance Improvement\nActivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The above activities will be implemented in the following 7\ndistricts with the limited funds available for the land sector. (Kegalla,\nKandy, Matale, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee) Further\nwe requested to include Gampaha district as well, said the statement <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement ended by saying that the copy of the report can be\naccessed through: https:\/\/assets.mcc.gov\/content\/uploads\/constraints-analysis-sri-lanka.pdf<\/a>. More\ninformation on the MCC grant for Sri Lanka could be obtained from https:\/\/www.mcc.gov\/where-we-work\/program\/sri-lanka-compact<\/a> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Transport project is in three parts. Part one is an Advanced\nTraffic Management System (ATMS) for the Colombo Metropolitan Region, covering\napproximately 205 kilometers of existing road networks , concentrating\non the  eight heavily traveled corridors\nthat link central Colombo with its suburbs   and \nincluding  improvement of  132 junctions in Greater Colombo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ATMS will\nbe controlled by a huge Traffic Management Center with real time analysis of traffic\nflow data,  interconnected traffic signal\nsystem and vehicle detection using modern technology. The project will also\ncreate more pedestrian crossings, improve sidewalks and introduce\n\u2018road safety measures\u2019\u2018 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Advanced\nTraffic Management System had been discussed with other donors. The discussions\nhad stalled because the other donors  had\nrefused to pay certain extra costs relating mainly to land. But  MCC readily \nagreed to pay   that too, said RDA\ngratefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part two is\nbus service modernization in greater Colombo. This\nwill consist of automated fare collection with smart cards, centralized control\nof bus schedules and GPS bus tracking to see whether buses are operating\naccording to schedule. These measures\nwould also improve the safety of women, senior citizens and disabled persons.\nFunds will be also provided for the purchase of new state-of- art buses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part\nthree  is the  upgrade of  approximately 131 kilometers of roads in\nSabaragamuwa, Uva and Central Province which are in between the more developed\nroads. This would include the road from Ratnapura to Beragala and Dambulla to\nNaulla. The Compact is offering a  super\nasphalt mix which will provide a better \nroad surface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transport project will improve connectivity between the\neconomically backward central region \nwith ports and markets in the western provinces, continued MCC. Getting transport right is the key to mark\nColombo as a regional hub for finance, trade and investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is\ndoubtful. The Compact does not address the primary transport  need in Sri Lanka today, the need for mass\ntransit, by bus and train, for both persons and goods. The Compact  remedy \ninstead,   is to introduce ICT\ncontrols  for  private transport.  The \nMCC Transport project  was\ndescribed in  detail by an  official of the Road Development Authority, at\na  seminar   I attended. The audience gave a hearty laugh\nat the end of the talk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics ignored the transport projects of the MCC and\npounced on the land projects. These had serious implications, they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 They pointed out\nthat the MCC Land plan  also  includes four\n\u2018Economic Corridors\u2019, Colombo-Trincomalee will be developed as the main\neconomic corridor with three other sub-corridors,  Jaffna-Kilinochchi in the Northern Province,\nGalle-Tissamaharama in the Southern Province and Chenkaladi-Ampara in the\nEastern Province. Anuradhapura and Kandy will be developed separately as\nmetropolitan areas. The feeble excuse given for their creation, was that the\ncorridors   were to help economic growth\nin economically poor areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan for a Colombo Trincomalee Economic Corridor, was\ndeveloped initially by the Asian Development Bank    in  2018. It was to take\nadvantage of existing international gateways, \nthe Bandaranaike International Airport and Colombo Port.  The proposed Central Expressway, which\nconnects the two, which is about 280 kilometers long, will act as the spine of\nthe corridor. An influence area of 50 kilometers on either side has been\nselected, which cuts across 6 provinces and 10 districts. The districts in the\ninfluence area cover 42% of Sri Lanka\u2019s total area, account for 58% of the\ntotal population and contribute 86% to industrial output. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 MCC critics  focused on the Colombo Trincomalee Economic Corridor.  Critics observed that the\nColombo-Trincomalee project will carve out an economic corridor from Colombo to\nTrincomalee, taking in Colombo, Negombo, Kurunegala, Dambulla and Trincomalee,\ncovering 1.2 Million acres, in a manner that physically divides the territory\nof Sri Lanka into two distinct parts. It has been alleged that the MCC\nenvisages an electric railway line that would bisect the country in a straight\nline linking Trincomalee with Colombo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The underlying purpose of the MCC compact was to divide Sri Lanka\ninto two distinct parts, said critics. That the so called economic corridor is\nto serve the interests of the U.S. the US has upgraded the status of Sri Lanka\nto that of a Military Logistics Hub. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority\nof the Districts within the Colombo\nTrincomalee Economic Corridor do not qualify on grounds of poverty, either.\nThey are below the national poverty headcount index of 4.1 Districts with high\nlevels of poverty are outside the proposed corridor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five of the eight Districts included in the Colombo Trincomalee Economic Corridor,\nnamely, Matale (3.5), Kurunegala (2.9), Anuradhapura (3.8), Polonnaruwa (2.2)\nand Gampaha (2.0) are below the national headcount index of 4.1. Therefore,\nonly three Districts, Kandy (5.5), Kegalle (7.1) and Trincomalee (10.0)\nqualify, since their poverty indices are high and well above the national\naverage of 4.1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Districts where the poverty headcount index is considerably higher\nthan the national average and therefore requiring attention are   not in the corridor. Districts such as\nRatnapura (6.5), Monaragala (5.8), Badulla (6.8), Batticaloa (11.3),\nKilinochchi (18.2), Mullaitivu (12.7), Jaffna (7.7), Nuwara-Eliya (6.3) are\nwell above the national poverty index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National\nJoint Committee  took an interest in  this Corridor. National Joint Committee noted that\nthe law applicable within the Corridor would be \nAmerican law and not  Sri Lankan\nlaw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country\nwill be divided into two parts by this economic corridor with the northern part\nbeing available to create the nation of Eelam as envisaged in the separatist\nideology. It is in this northern part that the ancient cities of Anuradhapura,\nPolonnaruwa and Kurunegala are situated, said NJC .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The area covered by this\neconomic corridor  contains Eppawala\nphosphates, Limonite, Thorium, Monazite and rare earth metals Cerium and\nLanthanum. When Freeport McMoran, an American Company, in 2000 tried to mine the\nphosphates in Eppawala this was prevented by Supreme Court saying such assets\nbelonged to the people, said National Joint Committee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics of the Corridor \nalso took up another matter. The corridors will be based on a  new National Physical Plan (2018 \u2013 2050)\nwhich is  expected to replace the earlier\nPhysical Plan (2011 \u2013 2030) prepared in 2011. While\nthe earlier Physical Plan addressed development over the entire territory of\nSri Lanka, the revised Physical Plane has deviated from this holistic approach\nand focused development along “growth corridors” observed critics.\nThese districts overlap with those coming under the MCC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A National Physical Plan has to carry out certain procedures for\nit to be accepted as an official document. It has to be prepared under the Town\nand Country Planning (Amendment) Act (No. 49 of 2000). The earlier Physical\nPlan had followed all the procedures required by the Act. The question is\nwhether the revised Physical Plan has followed the due process as required by\nthe Act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such procedures should include preparing a Draft Physical Plan and\nconducting hearings with experts, professionals and general public and\nobtaining provisional approval of the Minister concerned after which it is\ngazetted with maps and plans, for scrutiny by the public, for them to propose\nrevisions to be incorporated in the Draft Plan. It is after following such\nprocedures that the final version of the National Physical Plan is submitted to\nthe National Physical Planning Council for approval. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The revised National Physical Plan 2050, prepared by the National\nPhysical Planning Department of the Megapolis and Western Development ministry, has been approved by the National Physical\nPlanning Council  and the National\nEconomic Council (NEC) of Sri Lanka and is expected to be gazetted shortly said\nDaily News in February 2019. It is yet to be made public, although it is said\nto be \u2018completed,\u2019 said analysts in June 2019.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics wanted to know whether the President as the Head of the\nNational Physical Planning Council has approved the Plan. What is the status of this new Plan? If the final Physical Plan had not followed\nthe required procedures prior to the approval of the National Physical Planning\nCouncil, how legitimate would be the final version of the Plan, even if it was\napproved by the President and the Council, and consequently, the status of the\nCompact negotiated with MCC, they asked.  ( Continued) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS The Prime Minister office made a statement on the MCC project in June 2019. The statement was made public. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The statement said: The Government of Sri Lanka, with the help of the Center for International Development (CID) at Harvard University, conducted constraints analysis to identify constrains which hampered the economic growth in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108584\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}