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MR against air deals during UNP regime

mahinda

DailyMirror

Agreements signed with some international airlines by the previous United National Party (UNP) regime without any concern for the future needs of Sri Lanka are hampering the expansion of Sri Lankan airlines, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

He made these comments at a ceremony where the 2009 Central Bank report was presented to him.

“The time has come to take the country, which was liberated with weapons to progress and prosperity, with the use of the plough,” the  president said adding that agreements signed by other countries must take into account the needs of our country and our people.

“Certain sections cry out about the lack of media freedom but we have 35 newspapers or similar publications, 30 TV stations and about 60 FM channels. They are free to criticize the government with or without facts. The interest rate was reduced and foreign reserves have increased to US$ 6 billion for the first time in the country’s history. The pragmatic and timely economic policies of the government has revived the economy and increased the growth rate from a hopeless two per cent in January last year to a healthy six per cent by December.

The president said the previous governments since independence had spent only four per cent of the annual GDP infrastructure on development while this government had spent six per cent even during the height of war and did not neglect development.

“It is due to these pragmatic and timely economic policies of the government that Sri Lanka successfully faced all drawbacks and increased the GDP from US$ 1,062 in 2005 to US$ 2,055 by 2010. Our aim is to increase it to US$ 4,000 by 2015,” the President said.

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Finance Ministry Secretary P.B. Jayasundara and Central Bank Economic Research Director K.D. Ranasingha also spoke.

Mr. Cabraal presented President Rajapaksa with a new Rs.10 coin minted to commemorate the occasion.

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