Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Y. K. Sinha says that the Indian government is currently studying the outline of that proposed trade agreement with Sri Lanka and that they look forward to working very closely to ensure that any agreement signed will benefit all the people of both the countries.
He was speaking to reporters in Kandy today (19) after paying respects to the Most Venerable Mahanayake Thero of the Malwatta Chapter and Anunayake Thero of Asgiriya Chapter and to convey India’s condolences on the passing of the Asgiriya Mahanayake Thero.
He stated that the Agreement for Economic and Technology Cooperation, also known as ETCA, was proposed by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during his visit to India is September last year.
“Since then our officials have met and now just a few days ago we have got a draft of the framework, which is the outline of that agreement, from the government of Sri Lanka. And our authorities in India are studying it and we will give our response after studying the draft.”
“So the negotiations have not yet started. It is still the initial steps,” he said responding to a question from the journalists.
“We look forward to working very closely with our Sri Lankan brothers and sisters to ensure that any agreement that is agreed will benefit all the people of both the countries.”
When asked about the Indian ambulance service to be established in Sri Lanka, which has been the cause for some controversy here, the Indian envoy said that during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka one year ago in March 2015, the government made a request seeking assistance in running an ambulance service in Sri Lanka.
Mr Sinha said that in 17 states in India there is a public/private partnership between an Indian company and the state government to run an ambulance service free of cost for the people. “Even Harvard University has commended as brave this model.”
“So as part of our commitment to Sri Lanka and the people of Sri Lanka, in the first phase the government of India agreed to give US$ 7.5 million for the ambulance service in Western and Southern provinces.”
Eighty-eight ambulances will be procured and all the drivers, the nurses, the paramedic will all be Sri Lankan, he said. “They plan to employ 600 Sri Lankans, to train them in Hyderabad, India where their headquarters is and they will come and run the ambulances.”
“Only a very few Indians will be there to supervise to run the control center because everything is computerized,” he pointed out.
“This experiment has worked beautifully in India and we hope that it will work well in Sri Lanka also.”
“We have signed the agreement and we are releasing the money,” he said, adding, the company is already setting up its office here and they will recruit Sri Lankan drivers, nurses and paramedical staff and train them.
All the ambulances will be owned by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health, the High Commissioner said.
