Economy to stride giant leap

Jayasiri MUNASINGHE

The next six years will see a giant revolution in the country's economic sphere where every family will be ensured a house to call its own, job opportunities and infrastructure facilities for a decent living, said senior Presidential Advisor and UPFA Gampaha district group leader contesting the general elections Basil Rajapaksa.

He was addressing a convention of the Mirigama SLFP Madya Bala Mandalaya held at the Mirigama Youth Resort Monday. Basil Rajapaksa said the Gampaha district ensured the President with the biggest majority of votes at the last Presidential election.

It showed that the people of Mirigama too had performed their responsibility well by voting for the President's victory.

The people would provide a similar historic decision on April 8 too. They could now live in peace without any terrorist threat, he said.

Basil Rajapaksa said the unique feature of President Mahinda Rajapaksa was that he boldly took up challenges other leaders didn't dare to face. The terrorist problem was one such challenge he overcame within four years after assuming office despite warnings from many pessimists here and abroad including certain world leaders.

The President also stopped the system of privatisation where State ventures were sold to political supporters and stooges for a song. Not a single private venture was privatised during the government's term of office.

Instead unprofitable State ventures had been economically strengthened and new ventures opened.

It was common knowledge that the World Trade Organisation always advised countries to discourage local industry and entrepreneurship. The WTO advised countries to curtail subsidies and allow local farmers, fishermen and industrialists to stand up on their own.

Former Trade Minister Ravi Karunanayake had signed the WTO agreement in Brazil acceding to these WTO conditions. But the President as soon as he assumed office reversed all this and started providing subsidies to local farmers and industrialists by first issuing fertilizer at a subsidised price of Rs. 350 per 50 kilo bag, Basil Rajapaksa said.