Per capita income would be doubled by 2016 - Treasury Secretary

Dinesh De Alwis

By 2016 the Government would be able to double the per capita income reaching the US $ 4,000 mark. To reach this target Sri Lanka has to maintain an eight percent annual growth of Gross Domestic Product.

The public sector has to play a unique role in this endeavour. With a knowledgeable workforce this target would be achieved soon, Finance and Planning Ministry Secretary Dr P B Jayasundara said. He was addressing the Diploma award ceremony at the Postgraduate Institute of Management, Borella yesterday.

He said to achieve economic development there should be peace. But this cannot be achieved without a leader with a strong vision, he added.

He said, “President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a visionary leader. Now we are politically stabilized. We have to develop our infrastructure facilities.

Fortunately we are in a highly developing region. Within a short period 10 Asian countries will lead the whole world. Among them, five Asian countries will be the richest in the world. India and China continue to have10 percent of GDP growth rate.

The future of the public service is questionable. There is a human resource erosion in Government institutions. Now it is spreading to the entire public sector. There is therefore an urgent need for public sector reforms,” he further said.

At the awards ceremony, 177 students were awarded the Postgraduate Diploma 2010. Out of 177 Diploma holders,126 were officers attached to the Finance and Planning Ministry while the other 51 were provincial council officers from former conflict areas.

Sri Jayawardanapura University Vice Chancellor Dr N L A Karunaratne, Management Faculty Dean Prof Sampath Amaratunga, PIM Director Dr Uditha Liyanage and Dr Wickrema Weerasooriya were also present.