Financial Times

SriLankaFirst and BPA hail joint mechanism
SriLankaFirst together with the Business for Peace Alliance (BPA) last week said it was jointly supporting the proposed Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS).

In a statement, SriLankaFirst and the BPA said the proposed Joint Mechanism envisages a fair and equitable mechanism for the disbursement of much needed post-tsunami aid pledged by donors for the North and East regions.
“The fair and equitable distribution of aid can only be made possible through an inclusive mechanism such as the Tsunami Relief Board which is representative of all the parties operating in these areas.

Confined to only a two km coastal strip of land across the six affected regions in the North and East for a limited period of one year, SriLankaFirst and the BPA believes the proposed structure would fast track the reconstruction and rebuilding of the devastated areas. An inclusive administrative arrangement that brings all the parties together in a united effort can only strengthen the peace process.” It urged the government to implement the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure without delay.

SriLankaFirst is an apolitical initiative formed by respected Sri Lankan business leaders in September 2001 after the devastating attack on the Bandaranaike International Airport. The BPA is an island wide grouping of Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry, functioning to practise post conflict reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Its mission is building peace through re-linking regions long separated by conflict.

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