The government of Japan has announced a substantial grant assistance of LKR 770 million aimed at bolstering Sri Lanka’s fisheries sector and advancing meteorological capabilities. Notably, a commitment of JPY 160 million (approximately LKR 335 million) has been allocated for the implementation of the Project for the Establishment of a Doppler Weather Radar Network in Sri Lanka.
In 2017, Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), granted over LKR 3.4 billion for the same project. This grant was directed towards enhancing the mitigation of disasters triggered by hazardous meteorological phenomena by improving weather forecasts and information dissemination from the Department of Meteorology.
As part of the current assistance, an additional grant of approximately LKR 335 million has been designated to provide Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), a crucial component for ensuring reliable data communication, especially during severe disaster situations where conventional communication may be disrupted by extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, lightning, and landslides.
This supplementary grant is anticipated to significantly enhance the resilience and adaptive capacity of the Meteorology Department in responding to natural disasters.
Furthermore, under Japan’s Economic and Social Development Program, a grant assistance of JPY 200 million (approximately LKR 435 million) has been earmarked to provide essential equipment to support Sri Lanka’s fisheries industry. The primary objective of this aid is to develop cold chain facilities and equip the fisheries sector with modern electronic equipment, fostering the production of high-value marine products and contributing to the upliftment of living standards for fishermen in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
The grant includes provisions for ice-making machines, digital platform scales, fishing nets, a refrigerator truck, and prefabricated refrigerators/freezers. It is expected that this grant will play a crucial role in alleviating constraints within the value chain and increasing competitiveness by promoting private sector investments in the fisheries industry.
The exchange of notes pertaining to these grants was formalized through the signatures of Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana and Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki. The signing ceremony was attended by Douglas Devananda, Minister of Fisheries; Shehan Semasinghe, State Minister for Finance; and Yamada Tetsuya, Chief Representative of JICA’s office in Sri Lanka.
