Dissanayake pledges to fight extremism, boost the economy
In the inaugural session of the new Parliament, the president of Sri Lanka announced an imminent new debt agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Tourism, trade, and new technologies are the leading sectors for a type of development that distributes benefits to all. He also stressed that “racist politics would not be allowed to re-emerge”.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – The President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, spoke this morning at the inaugural session of the tenth Parliament of Sri Lanka, which was elected last week.
Referring to past conflicts, he said: “We have shed enough blood and tears over such divisions. It is our collective responsibility to ensure future generations are free from this strife.”
Following the election of Asoka Sapumal Ranwala as Speaker of Parliament, Dissanayake delivered the government's policy statement as required by the Constitution.
In his speech, he stated that racist policies will not be allowed to re-emerge and pledged to act against the resurgence of religious extremism in the country.
"No one will enjoy legal immunity under the present Government, we pledge to establish a democratic state free from fear and suspicion. Freedom is something common to all of us. We must reaffirm the rule of law,” he stated.
“Laws that are passed must be properly enforced, and the public must be convinced that the law is operational. However, in recent times, people have lost faith in this. No politician or person in authority is above the law; everyone must be subject to it.”
While targeting no one in particular, the president promised to “ensure that those responsible for these controversial crimes will be brought to justice," he stressed.
Turning to economic priorities, Dissanayake said that his government expects to reach a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund by tomorrow and intends to sign separate agreements with each of its official creditors.
To deal with the country’s economic collapse, the president called for a new economic framework to rapidly expand the production of goods and services.
At the same time, he stressed the importance of citizen involvement in the economy. “No matter how much we produce, if the benefits are confined to only a portion of the population, it will not be effective. Our policy is to ensure that economic benefits flow fairly to the people."
On tourism, Dissanayake indicated the goal of generating US$ 8 billion in revenues over the next three to four years.
Government will also focus on training information technology professionals, aiming at increasing their numbers from 85,000 to 200,000 within five years to make the country competitive on global markets.
The president also highlighted Sri Lanka's potential as a trading and maritime hub.
He called stressed that, despite significant investments in the sector, more must be done to develop seed farms and boost the entire sector through new subsidies to revive rural communities.
He described farm debt a major social tragedy, and promised to fight poverty and increase the "Aswesuma" social welfare benefits.
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15/11/2019 18:11
