Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s Colombo district MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday slammed the Government for failing to take new steps to introduce new revenue generation plans.

“Does the Government have any plan to earn revenue other than increasing taxes,” Marikkar queried from Government benches during his speech in Parliament.

In that context the SJB MP called for the greater promotion of medical tourism in Sri Lanka as a new foreign exchange earning strategy.

Speaking in Parliament, Marikkar said education and medical tourism are the most lucrative businesses in the world today. “Sri Lanka can attract medical tourists from the Maldives, South India and Bangladesh,” he added. He also pointed out the shortcomings of the authorities in the promotion of wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka.

The need to enhance availability of world class university education thereby luring students from South Asia as well as retaining Lankan students was also emphasised.

“At least 175,000 students pass the Advanced Level exam annually out of which around 30,000 enter local universities. A small amount goes abroad for studies taking around $ 4 billion out of the country. Others enter private universities while the rest end up on the streets,” he said.

The SJB MP pointed out that while Saudi Arabia earns $ 130 billion in revenue from oil sales, India earns the same through Information Technology. “Have we taken one step to enter the education market and stop this outflow of dollars while attracting students from countries in the region?”

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