The Samagi Jana Balawegaya says the policy statement delivered by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Parliament yesterday failed to provide solutions to the two burning issues in the country.
Parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne speaking at a media briefing today said the rising cost of essential food items and goods, the shortage of gas, milk powder, and other items and the shortage of foreign reserves are the two major concerns.
MP Wickramaratne said the policy statement failed to address these concerns. He charged that the President’s only focus yesterday was the government settling international sovereign bonds amounting to USD 500 million.
Meanwhile, MP Wickramaratne said the former good governance government did not sell the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms to India, terming all allegations as lies.
He questioned if India would have remained silent for five years, had the then government sold the Oil Tank Farm to India.
He clarified that discussions were held over a possible agreement, while it was not carried forward as the then government was not prepared to sell the tanks.
The MP charged the Mahinda Rajapaksa-led government of selling the stretch from the Port City to China.
He claimed that that agreement too was suspended by the former government for one year after discussions with the Chinese government and transformed the agreement to a lease.
