PM says govt. policies steered by King Parakrama Bahu policies
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recently said that Sri Lanka should make use of the opportunities offered by the regional trade blocks and Free Trade Agreements (FTAS), and the government’s policies are guided by those who follow King Parakrama Bahu.
Prime Minister expressed these sentiments at Dr. Saman Kelegama memorial conference opening in Colombo, last week.
“You can be against the China FTA, against other agreements, and where would we go then? We have to plan and take all the developments into account. This will no longer be a small island. “There are those whose mindsets governed by Laski and Fabish, who think small. We are thinking of a big nation. Fortunately we are not guided by those who follow Laski and Fabish but by the policies of King Parakrama Bahu,” Wickremesinghe stressed.
“We must remember how the geo politics of Indian Ocean resulting in a completely neglected region, now becoming a center of attention. China’s belt and road initiative—they have already gone and linked the landmark of Europe and China with rail. China is expanding its economy.
“Japan and India are working together. There is Asia-africa growth corridor and the freedom of the oceans. Sri Lanka again is in a position to benefit, be it the Belt and Road and the Asia Africa corridor. Both can work together. I have no doubt it will be complementary,” he added.
Meanwhile, Wickremeisnghe said the aim of the government is to see the emergence of a dynamic private sector.
“A private sector which will lead the growth of our country is what we have aimed for. If you want more jobs, if you want better employment, if we want better housing, if you want better transport, we must pay for it. Then we have to earn that money and in the process we have to expand at such a rate that we can also overcome the debt which is our main concern and the biggest constrain.
“In doing so, we must remember that we are a lower middle-income country and that we have to go up the value chain. Bangladesh and Myanmar will become low wage manufacturing nations. Whereas the IMF has said we have to expand the basket of our export production services. We have to increase our export markets and expand our markets focus on business activities which we think are the ones that will enable us to get away,” he said.