MCC to be launched in Sri Lanka soon – US
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia at the US Department of State, Ambassador Alice Wells last week said that the US had ‘another MCC that we’re launching soon in Sri Lanka.’
In an interview with a Senior Associate for South Asia in Washington at the Wilson Center, Wells said that: “We have another MCC that we’re launching soon in Sri Lanka that will undertake the same kind of nitty-gritty reforms in land registration and motorway harmonization that will, we determine, you help unlock economic development.”
Criticizing China for constructing the Hambantota port she said the US shared India’s concerns over projects that did not have an economic basis and led to countries ceding sovereignty.
She added that Sri Lanka’s not the only country that has ceded, effectively ceded sovereignty over a key asset. There has been reports out of Tajikistan overland swaps in order to get out of excessive debt. And this is a real issue.
“We also see in Sri Lanka a number of Chinese-financed projects sitting vacant and unused, including a $104 million telecommunications tower and a $209 million international airport in the south with zero regularly-scheduled flights. Indeed, the Center for Global Development found in 2018 that eight OBOR recipient countries including Pakistan, Maldives, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, were at high risk of debt stress due to Chinese financing. In one instance because of the threat of drowning in unpayable debt, Burmese officials massively downscaled a deep-water port project in Rakhine State by over 80 percent — from $7.3 billion to $1.3 billion. Alarmed by problematic Chinese practices elsewhere, Burmese leaders reversed course from a prior administration’s decision.”
(Source: The Island)
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WOW….. What ELSE to say
Whoever you are, you can shove your “another MCC” wherever you like, but it’s a non starter in Sri Lanka!
our politicians should understand this , going to do unsuccessful , non feasible projects due to their narrow minded and self development projects , and loans , gives more burden to people and sovereignty of the country.
Hi Alice (Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia at the US Department of State),
The MCC is good but have you talked with the fiery Minister in the New Govt, Hon Wimal Weerawansa?
This time, he will probably starve himself to death if the MCC Compact is implemented.
Well it seems ‘Alice in wonderland!’ We have to say no to MCC. Why USA is so generous and driving poor SL to sign it? What is the catch? Please leave us alone.
This is what called democracy.
US, UK, EU tell us what to do. Then the SL government band backward and comply. If not, Human Rights and Genocide allegations going to be resurrected. This sounds like India sending us Parippu and IPKE to help Sri Lanka.
The MCC compact has two components:
1. Modernising traffic management in Colombo – at present, the traffic controls are not coordinated nor managed. It also relies heavily on controls on the ground by Policemen flaying their arms.
2. Digitising the land Registry – at present the Land Registry is 100% paper based. SL Public Service is famous for files ‘missing’ from records. Forged Land Titles are commonplace. The MCC Compact proposes digitisation of the Land Registry to enable the Nation and its Citizens realise and enjoy the value of landholdings.