President faced many challenges

There is no other leader in the history who had faced as many challenges as those of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said Education Minister Bandula Gunawardhana. He was speaking after a tree planting program held in keeping with 1.1 million tree planting program at the education ministry.

Terrorism had engulfed the country when Mahinda Rajapaksa became the President. The President had to allocate Rs 250 billion for the war from the budget, he said. World fuel prices increased than those of any other period. Developed countries like America also had to face economic problems, Minister Gunawardhana said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa faced those challenges and he achieved his target of making an independent country. He made a plan to develop the country in five ways and knowledge development is one of them, he added.