The United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Sri Lanka Compact has no bearing on land ownership, administration and management in the island, US diplomatic sources said.
The USD 67 million land administration project has an estimated economic rate of return of 30% and aims to expand and improve existing Government of Sri Lanka initiatives to increase the availability of spatial data and land rights information. The project will initially focus on districts in the Central, North-Western, North-Central and Eastern Provinces.
This was disclosed by US Ambassador in Colombo Alaina B. Teplitz appearing in online via the embassy’s social media site out lined current Sri Lanka –USA relations dispelling false propaganda campaign of the opposition recently.
Land activities will help the Government create an inventory of state lands, modernize methods of valuing lands, strengthen tenure security for smallholders, women, and firms, and digitize deeds records so that they are less vulnerable to damage, theft, and loss.
The US Government will not buy, sell, or own any actual land - or take control of any actual land - under this agreement.
Under the land administration project, the land activities will be done in the preparation of parcel fabric map and inventory of state land. improvement of deeds registry, improvements of the land valuation system, land grants registration and deed conversion activity and land policy and legal governance improvement activity.
The above activities will be implemented in 7 districts with the limited funds available for the land sector. Accordingly, these will be implemented in Kegalle, Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee. Furthermore, it is learnt that the US has requested to include Gampaha district as well.
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