It is reported that the Sri Lankan government has requested a loan of US$ 53 million from the Asian Development Bank for a “Integrated Rural Road Investment Project” project, claiming to complete the essential road projects as soon as possible.
Disclosing this, Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena mentions that this loan is being taken with particular attention to the dilapidated nature of the road system in the country.
The country is currently suffering from a huge debt burden. Minister Bandula Gunawardena says in this regard that most road development projects carried out in the country since the beginning of history were implemented based on loans received from various foreign organizations and countries.
Minister Bandula Gunavarna disclosed this at the Ministry of Transport and Highways advisory committee meeting held at the Parliament complex.
During previous regimes, the construction of roads by the rulers had become a popular project, and it is now known to the country that there are no assets compared to the value of the loans taken by the country, especially highways and other projects, most of the money is allocated to theft, fraud and corruption. Various organizations, parliamentary committees and audit reports have also revealed that such thefts, frauds and corruption took place in the past.
