US aid agency satisfied with North and East development

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has commended the economic development in Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern Provinces, a region that was battered by the 30-year long civil war, while pointing out that economic development is alone not enough without achieving reconciliation and lasting peace.

The Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID's Asia Bureau, Denise Rollins has expressed satisfaction over the development work done in the two Tamil-dominated provinces after the end of the war in May 2009 . During a meeting with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa last week to review Sri Lanka's development programs supported by the USAID, Rollins has said that there would be greater job opportunities in the two provinces through tax-free investments. http://eng.lankasri.com/view.php?2034Y5B220eYmBd34eaomOln4cadQWAAcddcAUMQqdac4dlOmae43dBmY3e022B5Y402