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The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) hosted a Foreign Policy Round Table titled ‘Unpacking Sri Lanka’s MCC Compact’ on 24 September 2019.
The round table included a presentation by Ms. Jenner Edelman, Sri Lanka Resident Country Director for MCC, comments from Prof. Herath M. Gunatilake, former Director at the Asian Development Bank, and Dr. Asanga Gunawansa, Head of Colombo Law Alliance. The discussion moderated by Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Executive Director at LKI.
Sri Lanka’s proposed MCC Compact is one of the largest foreign grants the country has ever been offered and could have a significant impact on its economic development. Worth USD 480 million over a period of five years, the compact consists of a Transport Project, which aims to improve the road and bus network in the Colombo Metropolitan Region, and a Land Project, which seeks to improve the efficiency of Sri Lanka’s land administration. The round table sought to unpack the details of the grant to understand its potential impact on Sri Lanka’s development. It also addressed some of the misconceptions surrounding the grants.
The round table was attended by LKI Board members, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies, as well as senior representatives from academia, the media, think tanks, and the private sector.
Resources from the round table
- Read the key takeaways from the LKI Foreign Policy Round Table titled ‘Unpacking Sri Lanka’s MCC Compact.’
- Read the LKI blog Making the MCC Compact Work for Sri Lanka by Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja.
- Read the LKI Explainer on The Millennium Challenge Corporation and Sri Lanka.
- Watch the LKI Spotlight with Ms. Jenner Edelman, Sri Lanka Resident Country Director for MCC below.
