SAARC bill to now top Rs 4.5 billion

Sunday Leader
The government is to spend a staggering Rs. 4.5 billion on the two day South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) summit to be held in August this year according to revised estimates.
The Sunday Leader learns that the government's initial plan of spending in the region of Rs. 2.5 billion on the summit has now shot up to Rs. 4.5 billion.
Meanwhile, after taking into consideration the present security situation in the country, the government has proposed to hold the summit in two locations - Colombo and Kandy.
However, the government is yet to finalise if the summit would be held at two locations.
It is also learnt that a separate allocation is to be made for the Presidential Security Division and the Special Task Force for security arrangements totaling Rs 539 million.
Foreign Ministry Secretary, Dr. Palitha Kohona told The Sunday Leader that the government was working on a target of Rs. 600 million as a tentative figure to be allocated for the summit.
"We are working on a tentative figure of Rs. 600 million for the summit, but it could be more or even less. A lot of people have made requests, but the government is yet to decide on them," he said.
The SAARC organising committee is chaired by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and the task force headed by the Foreign Ministry is to make the final arrangements for the summit.
Dr. Kohona confirmed that there was a proposal to hold the summit in Colombo and Kandy. However, he said that no final decision has been arrived on that matter as yet.