Will continue to take unpopular decisions to get the country out of economic crisis: Wickremesinghe

Facing a severe economic crisis, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday ruled out “division” of the country but vowed to go ahead with the transfer of powers within a “united nation” and end his “politically unpopular” career. Promised to continue with the decisions. In a key policy speech, Wickremesinghe also told parliament that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $2.9 billion bailout package were in the final stages.

Wickremesinghe told lawmakers, “We expect a transfer of power within a united nation.” However, I wish to reiterate one fact, which has been emphasized on several occasions…there will be no partition of the country. Buddhist monks opposed it. However, the President made no mention of it in his address. The President said, “All previous attempts have failed, but we want to succeed this time. We look forward to your continued support.

He said the conflict in the northern and eastern parts affected the entire country and many areas suffered serious damage. The Northern Province as a whole and many areas in the Eastern and North Central Provinces were heavily damaged by the war. The President said, “We are taking steps to give more emphasis on the development of these areas. A general plan is being implemented in this regard.

A few days ago the move was strongly opposed by an influential Buddhist monk claiming that it challenges the unitary nature of the country. Wickremesinghe underlined the need to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to provide political autonomy to the minority Tamils ​​in the country. India has been pressurizing Sri Lanka to implement 13A brought after the 1987 India-Sri Lanka accord.

Sinhalese are predominantly Buddhist who make up about 75 percent of Sri Lanka’s 22 million population while Tamils ​​make up 15 percent. Regarding the economic crisis, Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka is expected to emerge from bankruptcy by 2026. He said, “Don’t think about the past but think about the future. Let us unite with consensus and move forward in a democratic way to support the country in overcoming the current crisis. The President said that the unpopular decisions taken by him would have positive results in the years to come.

Wickremesinghe said, “The introduction of new policies with regard to tax is a politically unpopular decision. Remember, I am not here to be popular. I want to get this country out of the crisis situation. Yes, I am ready to take unpopular decisions for the sake of the nation. People will realize the importance of those decisions in two to three years.” The Sri Lankan government has introduced tax hikes and other austere economic measures. At the same time, labor organizations and opposition parties have protested against such measures. Organizations from all walks of life, including medical, protested.

The doctors had started a 24-hour strike. Wickremesinghe said the country would lose $63 billion if the tax hike was not implemented. “At present, we are not in a position to lose this income,” he said. The President said that the country has moved from a negative economy to a positive economy. “By the end of 2023, we can achieve economic growth,” he said. Wickremesinghe said inflation had come down to 54 per cent in January from 70 per cent when he took office in July last year. Is. Sri Lanka was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022. Due to the severe depletion of foreign exchange reserves, political turmoil broke out in the country, leading to the ouster of the powerful Rajapaksa family.

Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.

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