The delegation of Sri Lankan senior officials led by the Secretary to the Ministry of Housing & Construction, Mr. P. Veerahandi visited Banda Aceh in Indonesia to exchange the experience in post tsunami reconstruction with their counterparts in Banda Ace Province in Sumatra islands which was the most severely affected area by the Tsunami waves consequent to a sea quake occurred just few kilometers away from the island on 26^th December 2004.

Sri Lankan mission witnessed the policies and implementation strategies of the Indonesian Government in rebuilding 111,000 new houses and the infrastructure and also shared their experiences with senior officials in Aceh Province.

Chief Secretary to the Province, the Head of the Banda Aceh Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, Mayor of the City are some of the key officials who exchanging the views with the Sri Lankan mission.

The mission was impressed by the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) approach in planning the settlements with participation of affected communities, namely the Community Action Planning (CAP) process.  The CAP process was introduced to the world by Sri Lanka with the actively participated by National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) in implementing major housing programmes which was started in 1980s.

This tour was organized by the Tsunami Housing Supporting Project (THSP) of GTZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development.

Advisor to the GTZ, Mrs. Hilke Ebert, Director of Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA), Mr. Gemunu Alawattegama, Addl. Director General of Urban Development Authority, Mr. Prasanna Silva, General Manager of NHDA Mr. Wasantha Wijeratne, Project Co-ordinator of Tsunami Housing Supporting Project of GTZ, Mr. Piyal Ganepola participated this tour with some senior officials of the above organizations.

                                                                                                                                                08^th May 2006.