Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma says the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is yet to officially inform the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the impact on its projects, following the executive order by US President Donald Trump on providing international aid.
Addressing the Parliament today, Deputy Minister Suriyapperuma said that USAID must inform of any freeze of funds, according to their agreement with the Sri Lankan Government.
“USAID has not informed us in writing yet on what will happen to the money it supplies to the Sri Lanka government,” the Deputy Minister said.
He further said USAID has agreed to inform the government in writing of the cancellation or freeze of funds of any project, due to the current order.
In February, on the first day of his second term in office, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing foreign aid for at least 90 days. President Trump, who is a long-term critic of overseas spending, has said it does not represent value for money for American taxpayers.
Against this backdrop, US officials also revealed that USAID will be merged with the State Department and will have significant cuts in the workforce but will remain a humanitarian aid entity.
USAID also announced that all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally with effect from 07 February 2025, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs. (Newswire)