Hettigoda to reorganise BOI
 

by E. Weerapperuma

Presidential candidate Dr. Victor Hettigoda expressed confidence that he would be shortly asked to visit the North and East "If I get that opportunity I have a set of new ideas to offer to the LTTE members to consider in resolving the national problem. This country cannot move forward without them as they are part of this country," he said.

Dr. Victor Hettigoda told a media conference held at Hotel Janaki that under this economic reform, he would take steps to reorganise the Board of Investments (BoI).

"Today the BoI is an institution issuing only approvals for various projects. But what I intend doing is to make that an Institution where the both local and foreign investors and entrepreneurs go with confidence to get all assistance necessary to carryout their business projects," he told the media.

Dr. Hettigoda further said that he intends to provide a cow for each family and invite foreign businessmen dealing with milk production to invest here and distribute Sri Lanka milk to the world. He also said that he would bring down cows from Kerala State who give about 15 to 20 litres of milk per day.

"The youth of this country idle after school as there is no employment. I would get them to grow more plantains in the country as there is a big demand in the West: I will also have a grain-bank set up and would buy every grain produce here at compatible price to benefit our farmers".

He went on to say because of bad management of foreign aid by the successive Governments they are reluctant to give loans any more and said that the politicians who ruled the country for 57 years have ruined it and everyone in the country has been made a debtor and has to pay over Rs. one lakh to the funding agencies.

"Our past has been prosperous and glorious without the support of foreign aid. Singapore came many years ago to take our economic policy to build their country. Today they have advanced and we are far behind India, Maldives, Malaysia and Singapore," he pointed out.

Dr. Hettigoda said that people were fed up with party-politics and they look for a leader who can stand above party politics and I have entered the political arena to serve my country. "I regret to note that although I have the right to be treated equally as a Presidential candidate some media institutions fail to respect my request for a photo I have sent to telecast over one of the television channels. It is a photograph where I pay my reverence to my dead parents.

The media should treat me equally as there are 13 candidates not two candidates in the fray. I hope they will give due respect to all the candidates," he said.

Responding to a question by the media he said if he was not elected the President and the one elected as President of the country invited him to assume duties as a Minister he would politely refuse to accept or work under him as he had the same in the past.