Debunking allegations levelled by different factions, head of the Committee appointed to review the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Agreement, Prof. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan said that his committee enjoyed absolute freedom in preparing the final report on the MCC agreement with no political interference.
During his Presidential Election campaign in 2019, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised to review the proposed MCC agreement between Sri Lanka and the United States.
A four-member committee comprising senior economist Prof. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan, former Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, D.S. Jayaweera, Nihal Jayawardena PC and Architect Nalaka Jayaweera, was appointed by the President to esamine and report on the agreement.
However, the integrity of the committee was questioned by certain parties claiming that it would only produce the sort of report the government wants to see.
“We carried out work independently with due professionalism,” Prof. Gunaruwan told the Sunday Observer.
According to the President’s Media Division, the committee which reached unanimous agreement, had recommended the abandonment of the proposed agreement.
Before arriving at a decision, views from various people had been taken into account at the review stage.
“We spoke to previous and current public officers. We also received about 180 public views on the agreement,” Prof. Gunaruwan said.
After careful observation of the views and key findings, the Committee made several other recommendations in the report.
“I am afraid we do not have the power to reveal them to the media. Only the government can do that,” the Prof. said.