United Nations Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Director for Asia and the Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja expressed appreciation over the reforms undertaken for socio-political development in Sri Lanka and assured continuous assistance under the UNDP.

When she called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Temple Trees today (January 4), she said, “We highly appreciate your consistent policy to work for uplifting the marginalized people of the country that you have carried out that for the last 30 or 40 years.”

Wignaraja discussed Sri Lanka’s development programmes related to policy reforms, digitalization, public sector modernization, climate change, green economy, water and other related development issues.

The Prime Minister briefed her on the steps taken for economic recovery and the programmes for long-term infrastructure development. He explained the steps taken to broaden the tax base and said the new tax policy of registering all the citizens over 18 would boost digitalization plans and it would help to eradicate corruption and waste and enhance transparency.

Gunawardena said the tender and procurement system will also be digitalized under e-procurement platform which will come to effect in March this year for local procurements and in September for international biddings.

UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Anura Dissanayake and Chamindri Saparamadu, DG (SDG) Ministry of Finance also took part in the discussion.