President Ranil Wickramasinghe once again made a special request to forget the old conflicts and join a common program in order to overcome the most serious economic crisis faced by the country in recent history.
The President, who introduced a four-step strategic plan to recover from the crisis, said that the first step has been successful and the foundation for the second step is being prepared.
President Ranil Wickramasinghe expressed these views by making a special statement yesterday (06) in Parliament regarding the current economic situation.
The President informed the parliament about the Japan-Philippines visit and said that Japan’s agreement to play a leading role as a mediator in the debt restructuring work is a good sign and he hopes to request Japan to hold the position of co-chairman of the conference held with the countries that have given loans.
Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe also pointed out that the progress of the negotiations with the major lenders such as India, China, and Japan, as well as the other lenders, is expected to reach a multilateral agreement with them as soon as possible.
Also, the President, who briefed the parliament on the talks held with the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Shenlong, stated that the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, which had been abandoned last season, should be revived.
Through that, the President pointed out the possibility of establishing a stable economic approach with Singapore as well as the possibility of strengthening the country’s economic relations with Southeast Asia.
Ranil Wickramasinghe further said that due to the quick measures taken in the agriculture sector, it was possible to get a higher than expected yield in the yala season, and that the seeds and fertilizers needed to make the next season successful without any hindrance have been prepared sufficiently.
Although an urgent food production program has been prepared to ensure food security, the President emphasized the need to prevent the contraction of the economy and inflation and informed the Parliament about the measures to be taken to prevent the situation.
The President mentioned that the Buddha has shown the points followed by King Maha Vijita in rebuilding a fallen country through the Kutadanta Sutra and added that he is following the method shown by the Buddha.
