[Sri Lanka] - Japan offers 2 grants to Sri Lanka to strengthen fisheries sector and Met. Dept.The federal government of Japan has actually supplied grant support amounting to LKR 770 million to support Sri Lanka's fisheries sector and the field of meteoro

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
meteorology.Accordingly, a grant assistance adding up to JPY 160 million (approximately LKR 335 million) has been committed to the Project
for the Establishment of Doppler Weather Radar Network in Sri Lanka.In 2017, the Japanese government had granted more than LKR 3.4 billion
through JICA for the same project
The purpose of this grant was to mitigate effectively the disasters caused by hazardous meteorological phenomena through the improvement of
weather forecasts and information disseminated by the Department of Meteorology.Now, as a supplementary grant assistance of about LKR 335
million has been earmarked for the provision of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) which is an essential part for securing reliable data
communication especially in severe disaster situations where extreme rains, lightning, landslides etc
capacity to response of the Meteorology Department to natural disasters.Additionally, the Japanese government, under its Economic and Social
Development Program, has allocated a grant assistance of JPY 200 million (approximately LKR 435 million) for providing supportive equipment
for the fisheries industry in Sri Lanka.The objective of this grant aid to develop cold chain facilities and equip the fisheries sector with
modern electronic equipment and, thereby realizing high value-added marine products and contributing to the upgrading the living standard of
sets of fishing net, refrigerator truck and prefabricated refrigerators/freezers are to be provided
This grant assistance is expected to be a great patronage to reduce the constraints that exist in the value chain and increase the
competitiveness, by promoting private sector investments in the fisheries industry.Exchange of Note pertaining to the aforementioned grants
were signed by Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana and Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki, with the participation of
office in Sri Lanka.