COLOMBOfreesupertimesvideopoker, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Global Environment Facility (GEF) grants 5 million U.S. dollars to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Environment and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to implement a project on chemical disposal in the country, the UNDP said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the statement, Sri Lanka does not manufacture products which contain POPs or mercury. However, many products containing these substances are imported to the country for various uses every year.

Though stringent regulations have been introduced, a lack of capacity in the application of these regulations results in the continued mismanagement of chemical imports to the country, the UNDP said.

The Integrated Management and Environmentally Sound Disposal of POPs Pesticides in the Agricultural Sector and Mercury & Waste in the Healthcare Sector in Sri Lanka project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF VII) is implemented by the Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka.

The project aims to improve the implementation of regulations, strengthen national systems and capacities in chemical management, and support the transformation of healthcare waste management systems in Sri Lanka, according to the UNDP.■