Annual Report 2010 - Ministry of Finance and Planning

Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka > Annual Report 2010Table 1.57 > Access to BasicInfrastructure in the Estate SectorItems 2007 2010Access to Electricity % 62.3 84.3Access to safe46.2 65.1drinking water %Access to education % 91.8 97.4Source: Household Income andExpenditure Survey 2006/7, 2009/10’Gamanaguma’ the major initiative toempower the rural economy has alsocontributed to the declining povertythrough increasing connectivity andproviding opportunities to villages forsocial and economic empowerment.Construction of small scale ruralinfrastructure has made directand indirect contribution towardseconomic activities in the village.Under this Programme, 28,731 smallscale infrastructure projects werecompleted during the year 2010 at acost of Rs. 11.7 billion benefitting over 5million people.The government’s new interventionon addressing inter and intra concernsof provinces in the country have alsocontributed to decline the incidenceof poverty in rural areas. Effectivelyexploring the potential of each regiona large number of developmentinitiatives were carried out under thisprogramme in 2010 at a cost of Rs.13.7 billion. Enhanced rural economicinfrastructure including rural roads,transport, rural electrification andtelecommunication networks havephysically connected the laggingregions with the developed regionsand thereby reducing cost of transportand travel time.In line with this the vastimprovement made in informationand communication technologyhas also contributed to expandthe small business in the informalsector generating more employmentopportunities. Investment made todevelop inter-regional highways andrailways promoted mobility of peopleand goods and created a market fortheir products. The investment madefor inter-regional development underthe Ministry of Economic Developmentin 2010 has shown significant increasefrom Rs. 4 billion in 2009 to 13.7 billion.Rehabilitation and reconstructionof access roads, irrigation network,water supply, electricity and housingTable 1.58 > Gamanaguma Rural Infrastructure Programme 2010DescriptionExpenditureRs.mnNo. ofProjectsNo. ofBeneficiariesRural Roads 9,320 2632 4,536,935Rural Electrification 665 441 72,369Water Supply & Sanitation 449 763 126,429Minor Irrigation 735 1667 126,887Common Buildings 151 265 78,886Livelihood Development 103 625 165,937Social Development 341 832 271,538Source: Ministry of Economic Developmentprogrammes implemented in thewar torn areas in the North and Eastprovinces and adjoining vulnerabledistricts also largely contributedto reduction of vulnerability of thepoor in those areas. Rs. 21 billion hasinvested for the development of Northand East provinces under the foreignfinancing in 2010.As a consequence of thesedevelopment initiatives the access tobasic infrastructure such, as drinkingwater, school attendance, electricity,has increased in the rural sectors whiledeclining their vulnerability.Table 1.59 > Investment inInter – Regional DevelopmentProgramme 2010Kandurata Udanaya 510Nagenahira Navodaya 656Pubudamu Wellassa 216Rajarata Navodaya 226Ran Aruna 1618Ruhunu Udanaya 346Sabaragamu Arunalokaya 827Wayamba Pubuduwa 15Uthuru Wasanthaya 1850Balanced Regional Development7,500Total 13,764Source: Ministry of Economic DevelopmentTable 1.60 > Access to BasicInfrastructure in the Rural SectorYear 2007 2010Access to Electricity % 78.5 83.2Access to safe drinking 85.0 87.1water %Access to education % 98.2 99.5Source: Household Income and ExpenditureSurvey, 2006/7, 2009/10113