Sri Lanka yet to receive World Bank funds for COVID-19 assistance: PM

Millions of dollars pledged by the World Bank a month ago to aid Sri Lanka in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has not reached the country according to the government.

On Monday (04), Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told a group of former parliamentarians that the government had not received any foreign funding with regard to the COVID-19.

In April, the World Bank announced that its Board of Executive Directors approved the USD 128.6 million 'Sri Lanka COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project' to help the country prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen its public health preparedness.

“Although the World Bank had agreed to provide assistance of USD 128.6 million and signed agreements, the funds have not reached this country, and the funds are expected in future," said the secretary of the finance ministry through a statement from the Prime Minister's office.