Sri Lanka President orders review of delayed agriculture projects
Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to map all irrigation rehabilitation projects and speed up delayed foreign-funded projects in the agriculture sector.
A discussion to review the progress of projects being carried out under the 2026 budget allocations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation was held yesterday morning (July 07) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
The meeting was chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Ministry’s budget requirements for 2027 were also discussed.
During the meeting, the progress of projects carried out in 2026 by institutions under the Ministry was reviewed separately. These included the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, the Department of Export Agriculture and the Institute of Post-Harvest Technology (IPHT).
Attention was also given to institutions that need restructuring to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
The President instructed that all irrigation projects maintained by different institutions, departments and local authorities should be regulated through one district-level unit.
He also directed officials to prepare a complete map of irrigation rehabilitation projects being implemented across Sri Lanka.
President Dissanayake said the funds allocated under the 2026 Budget should be used in the best possible way. He instructed officials to further promote concessionary bank loan facilities available to young entrepreneurs in the agriculture and industrial sectors.
The President also asked officials to submit a report with proposals for the proper and integrated management of extension services now operating under different ministries.
He said separate discussions should be held on individual subject areas to ensure better coordination between Provincial Councils and the Central Government.
The President also directed officials to submit new proposals and projects to promote export agricultural crops and increase the value of related products.
Projects launched in recent years with foreign loan assistance were also reviewed at the meeting.
As many of these projects had passed their scheduled completion dates, the President instructed officials to take steps to complete them without further delay.
He also said that, in the future, no project funded through foreign loans should be approved without a clear understanding of its expected results.
It was also noted that the Government had faced a heavy financial burden because some projects started in previous years had not been completed within the given time.
Accordingly, it was decided to review projects that had not been completed on schedule.
The discussion also focused on the need to replace old projects and programmes that have continued for many years without clear results with more useful agricultural programmes.
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha, Minister of Labor and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne and Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Aravinda Senarath were present at the discussion.
Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Energy and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation D.P. Wickramasinghe and officials of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation were also present.
