Chinese Government provides $7.2 million grant for Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) Repair and Maintenance Project (Linked to Record ID#33192, #71573, #71574 and #71547)

Project narrative

On June 30, 2007, the Chinese Government committed $7.2 million grant funding to the Government of Sri Lanka for the Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) Repair and Maintenance Project. BMICH was constructed with Chinese grant funding in the 1970s (by the Chinese contractor, COMPLANT). Although the signing of an official financing agreement is not mentioned in any documents, the commitment year has been coded as 2007 because that is the earliest Sri Lanka Ministry of Finance Annual Report that mentions Chinese financing for the "Maintenance Requirements at the BMICH". The 2008 Annual Report from the Ministry of Finance refers to this funding as a loan, but all other documents, including the 2007 Annual Report, refer to the funding as a grant; and for this reason, the flow type has been coded as a grant. Shanxi Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd. was the contractor responsible for project implementation. On 7 June 2010, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yang Xiuping visited the ongoing reconstruction project. The completion ceremony for the project was held on October 24, 2013. Other Projects related to Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies are Record ID#33192, which captures the 2003 Chinese Government-financed construction of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre (The Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre is adjoining with BMICH), Record ID#71573, which captured the RMB 1.7 million China grant to Sri Lanka for the provision of equipment to the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, and Record ID#71574, which captured the RMB 5 million China grant for the provision of technical and support services to Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies. This project is also linked to Record ID#71547, a $62,909 Chinese government grant for upgrading BMICH in 2006.