After concluding discussions and consultations with senior government members, opposition members and civil society representatives in Colombo, the cross-party Parliamentary delegation, headed by Dr Peter Ramsauer which arrived in Sri Lanka recently visited German-funded projects in the Uva Province and Galle.
The high-ranking delegation visited Ecowave Spices factory in Buttala. The GIZ (German Development Corporation) supports spice farmers under its SME Sector Development Program that aims to assist Small and Medium Enterprises in gaining better access to the national and international markets.
The delegation had the opportunity of visiting the spice farm and to witness the community of small-scale farmers and rural families that benefit from this project and how it in turn improves their livelihoods.
From Uva, they travelled to Galle where they made an information visit to the construction site of the Maternity Hospital in Karapitiya. The Maternity Hospital, which is expected to be equipped with all modern facilities once it is completed, is an initiative by former Chancellor Helmut Kohl and marks a milestone in the longstanding relations between the two countries.
Germany has supported the implementation of this project with soft loans and grants amounting to 43 million euros. The delegation, which was accompanied by German Embassy and German government-owned development bank KfW officials, as well as all stakeholders involved in the execution of this project expressed the hope that the hospital can be inaugurated this Summer.
The delegation also visited the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle.