State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabral says the opposition has not provided any solutions to current issues but has been hurling allegation at the government.
State Minister Cabral said the opposition wanted the government to default on country’s debt payments.
He said despite opposition making claims from 2020 that the government will default on its debts, the present administration has honoured its loan payments.
Speaking during the Parliamentary debate on the 2020 Central Bank Annual Report, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabral said the government is taking all efforts to strengthen the economy and claimed that they are expecting a 5% economic growth this year.
He added that the government is expecting a bigger GDP growth in 2021. State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabral said therefore the public should not have any undue fear over a financial crisis.
Speaking during today’s debate Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena claimed the previous government handed over the country to the present administration with a destitute economy.
The Minister said then President Mahinda Rajapaksa handed over a flourishing country with a thriving economy and no wars to the Good Governance government.
He said they had to face a global pandemic when the present administration took over the governing of the country.
The Minister said the government was successful in maintaining the economy with many challenges which caused the envy of the opposition.
Minister Abeygunawardena claimed the government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the newly appointed Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa who is fond of challenges will develop the country’s economy and defeat the COVID pandemic as they save the country from a civil war.
Parliamentarian Kabir Hashim says the sale of the country’s national resources including lands, to foreign countries had become the government’s economic policy, which has resulted in a foreign exchange crisis.
Speaking during the Parliamentary debate on the 2020 Central Bank Annual Report MP Hashim said the government gave the Port City to China and sold three acres near the Galle Face green to China as soon as they came into power.
He said the government also provided the Western Terminal of the Colombo Port to India, attempted to privatise the country’s Petroleum sector and attempted to handover the Sri Lanka Air Force Headquarters to the Qatar government.
The Parliamentarian said the present administration obtained a loan of USD 708 million from Bangladesh and the International Monetary Fund at an interest rate of 0.1 percent.
He added the government is providing USD 200 million to the public at an interest rate of 10 percent.
MP Hashim charged the government of further burdening the public with irresponsible economic policies.
He said the present administration cannot continuously deceive the public through promises.
