Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila made rather a candid comment about the prevailing economic situation in Sri Lanka, however in contradiction to many opinions raised by the government, saying that the notion that the economic crisis is on the grounds of the Covid-19 pandemic is a false reading, during an interview with NethFM.
“Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented crisis. Many people do not recognise it. The crisis cannot be resolved without knowing it. Many view that this is a global crisis spawned by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a lie. This crisis has occurred because of the relentless borrowing. This is a debt crisis. We are a nation that borrowed and spent throughout history. We have maintained the culture of borrowing and spending instead of earning and spending since the 1950s, and today we are trapped in this debt trap to the point where we can no longer borrow,” Gammanpila said.
He added: “Therefore, in order to unite the entire nation and recover from this crisis, we should influence ourselves to cultivate more and more, as the saying goes “Sirilaka Dea Siri Sepa Dea.” Political leaders must set the necessary example, not by words, but by actions.”
The Energy Minister further noted that it is wrong to hold state-sponsored events such as the Independence Day by wasting huge amount of fuel and that his request before the Cabinet not to hold such celebrations went unheard.
MIAP
