Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-02-07

Construction of Rural Bridges

- The Government has planned to construct 4,000 bridges for connectivity improvement for transportation, with a view to improving easy access to market place, education and healthcare facilities for the rural folk in several remote villages situated in the interior. The Governments of Netherland, Austria and Belgium have agreed to provide funds for this project and the Birtish High Commission in Sri Lanka has intimated that it will provide direct financial facilities up to a value of 85% of the contract value of the project for the contractors of the UK identified for the implementation of the project. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Prime Minister, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to empower the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government, to call for quotations inclusive of the financing proposals from the bridge building companies of the UK for the implementation of a Bridges Project valued at £50 Million, was approved by the Cabinet.