Cabraal’s special statement on MCC

July, 1, 2020

Former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, on Wednesday, issued a special statement on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)

The full statement as follows:

"I have seen some social media posts which attempt to insinuate that the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government was ready to enter into a Compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation that was detrimental to Sri Lanka.

While it is true that the US Government had offered "aid" in the form of certain projects in Sri Lanka through the MCC in 2004, the discussions in 2006 merely centred on what components could be included in such a programme.

The alleged "Wikileaks" attributed to then US Ambassador Robert O'Blake also indicate that the proposed components of a possible MCC agreement in 2006 was completely different to what has been agreed to by the Yahapalanaya Government in 2019.

Further, there was also no mention of any terms and conditions that would govern the agreement, at all at that point of time in 2006.

In any event, the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government would have NEVER agreed to any conditions that would have put our country at any risk whatsoever."