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War on want partner tells of post-tsunami privatisation push
According to War on want’s Sri Lankan partner, MONLAR, plans prepared by the Sri Lankan Government for rebuilding the nation after the tsunami include a massive programme of water infrastructure development to support the process of water marketing by the private sector.
The Asian Development Bank had already agreed to finance such a water infrastructure programme some time ago on the condition that private sector was then brought in to provide the services. The ADB is now insisting that the deadlines previously set for legalising water privatisation should be met on time - in spite of the massive disaster that has destroyed the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people in the coastal regions.
People of Sri Lanka have been resisting water privatisation since 1996 when the World Bank first proposed it. Consecutive governments that attempted to introduce legislation and institutions for water marketing have had to withdraw because of massive people’s protests.
Sarath Fernando, Director of MONLAR, said “The tsunami has provided massive international financial support, obviously for the purpose of providing immediate relief and rebuilding the lives of the affected people, but the plans prepared by the Government clearly show that they give much higher priority to carrying out their previous plans as agreed earlier with the international financial institutions.”
