UPFA will strengthen private sector - PM

by Rohan Mathes

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse vows that the UPFA will never privatise the economic nerve centers of the country, and will always aim to strengthen the private sector while protecting the state sector.

The Premier said this when he participated as the Chief Guest at the ceremonial inauguration of the Homagama Urban Development programme last Wednesday.

He pointed out that the Alliance government which was brought into power by the people, had a systematic programme of work to rejuvenate the state sector, at a time the state sector and the whole economy had deteriorated to a very low level. The masses of the country had much aspirations and expectations of the Alliance government then, to deliver the goods. The Alliance under the leadership of President Kumaratunga, faced the challenging issues confronting the nation and succeeded in resolving them in stages.

Mahinda Rajapakse asked how as under the last UNP regime's agenda of selling state institutions, the country could be developed sans providing relief to its people?

He argued that the country's inability to get the benefit of the unemployed graduates for whom the country had invested immensely, was a great tragedy. The Alliance however, succeeded in deploying them to develop the country.

Rajapakse added that the government had developed not only Homagama, but many other urban areas around Colombo, by constructing bridges, highways and underground tunnels among others to uplift the living standards of the people.