Prime Minister promises to rebuild economy in country’s north and east

Friday, 2 February 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would bring massive development projects to the north and east to rebuild the economy of the region.

Speaking at a rally held at the Kalaimagal Stadium in Vavuniya today for UNP candidates contesting the local government institutions in Vavuniya, the Premier said that the protracted war destroyed the economy of the area and the Government had to rebuild it.

“But before we take steps to fix the economy in the north eastern region we have to fix the country’s economy,” he said.

The Premier said that under the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government there was no good income. The previous government worked with loans and obtained loans to pay the debt. There was a massive setback due to paying back debt.

It is only now that the country is seeing development and a steady income, the Premier said. Government revenues have increased with new businesses and there is no need to take more loans to pay off loans now. It is only now due to this development that new job opportunities are emerging. For promising jobs to people you have to find a way to create jobs, he said.

Pointing out that the biggest income the country received through exports came in 2017 with $ 15 billion. Similarly, the largest foreign investment of $ 1.5 billion was also received in 2017, the Premier said, asserting that this amount needed to be doubled to improve the employment issue.

“We have to start taking steps in line with this agenda. We are going to develop the Trincomalee Port. It is the best port in the Bay of Bengal. With the development of the port, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar as well as Trincomalee will see more development. Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Orissa, Bengal and Bangladesh will see development as well,” he noted.

Even at present an organisation in Singapore is formulating a plan for the development of Trincomalee and it will be overseen by Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. Therefore, India, Singapore, Japan and Sri Lanka will help develop Trincomalee. The benefits of that will even come to Vavuniya, the Premier added.

“The northeast has not been forgotten. We are all Sri Lankans. We all have the right to exist. Only we have solutions. Only we can find required finances. Let’s move forward. Just like the country’s government, give the UNP governance of the village as well,” he said.