Govt intervenes to stabilise economy

Irangika Range

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday assured the nation that the Government would take all possible steps to stabilise the nation’s economy whenever there occurred a financial crisis. “That was a step we have already proved by intervening in the crisis faced by the Seylan Bank,” The President pointed out.

The President was the Chief Guest at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) at the BMICH last evening.

Recalling the excellent history of the SLTB, President Rajapaksa said the destruction caused by the UNP to the SLTB was “paralysing the transport system of the country.

It is the best way to lead the country into a precipice,” the President explained.

”It is sad to note that those who destroyed the economy of this country now follow undemocratic methods to topple this Government,” the President stressed.

The President pointed out that the public transport system is operated on diesel and not on petrol and added that the Government would extend relief to areas where they needed most.

”We have realised that the people of this country are willing to travel to Jaffna by CTB buses or by the Yaldevi train,”he said. The Government will soon make their dreams a reality as the heroic Armed forces are in the final stages of liberating the entire Northern Province,”The President said.

President Rajapaksa said the SLTB which is an asset of the common man provides a valuable and efficient service for the ordinary people since its inception.

“But a number of public assets including SLTB, paper factories in Embilipitiya and Thulhiriya and Sathosa had been sold for a song by the previous Government,” he pointed out..

He stressed that the people really felt the impact only when the SLTB was sold as 80 per cent of the population depended on the SLTB for their transport needs.

“There was a time that the SLTB was run with a good revenue, but several wrong decisions and policies followed by previous Governments made the SLTB a ruined and unprofitable institute,”he said.

To revive the SLTB and to liberate the country from the LTTE clutches, we have left aside the convenient and attractive path and selected the rough and difficult path as we are not prepared to abandon our loyalty to the SLTB and our beloved motherland despite the difficulties and challenges faced by us, the President stressed.