Expats ready to help develop economy

Lakshmi de Silva

Thousands of expatriates are prepared to assist in the country’s economic development, said Sri Lanka Expatriates Association President Senaka Rajapakse.

”The end of terrorism opened new opportunities for our people and we are prepared to help in the progress of the country’s economy,” said Rajapakse who is also a senior member of the Weeravidhana Movement.

“We came back on the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who had succeeded in taking meaningful steps in the direction of rapid economic development to co-operate with the programs he had started,” he told the Daily News yesterday.

The people have been given the freedom to participate in democratic election and the forthcoming Parliamentary Election affords them an opportunity to elect efficient and hardworking members to the next Parliament, Rajapakse said.

”We also have a message for our countrymen. In the forthcoming election they should select a strong team of Parliamentarians who could work towards the achievement of the Mahinda Chintana Idiri Dekma policy objectives and strengthen the hands of the President to ensure that the country would become one of the leading nations of Asia in the next few years,” Rajapakse said.