Tremendous progress in short time - Economic Development Minister

Chaminda PERERA

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday said that Sri Lanka has achieved tremendous progress in almost all fields within a very short period when compared to countries which are emerging out of conflicts.

The Minister said the country's progress in the fields of tourism, infrastructure and rural development is of immense value since the eradication of terrorism. The minister said that the country achieved this progress in the midst of various constraints including the effects arising from the global financial crisis.

Speaking at a special press briefing at the Presidential Secretariat, the minister added that many countries in the world which underwent similar problems took many years to bring their countries back to normal in terms of development.

He said the Economic Development Ministry has taken every measure to ensure development dividends to the people at grass roots level.

Minister Rajapaksa added that the people at grassroots level have not received the benefits of development in many developed countries and the Economic Development Ministry has made every possible efforts to ensure that people at grassroots level enjoy the fruits of the country's development.

The minister added a number of programmes were introduced by the Economic Development Ministry to meet this objective. Minister Rajapaksa stressed that private sector investment is a sine quo non for the country's development and the ministry has planned to increase private sector investment to 26 percent this year.

Minister Rajapaksa added that the government focused on the development of rural roads, electricity, water supply facilities under the Gama Neguma programme.

The ministry also focused on the spiritual and livelihood development of rural masses by launching a number of projects under the Gama Neguma from 2006-2010.

A stretch of 9,017 kilometres of road in villages were brought under concrete while 5172 rural electrification schemes were launched in the country during the last four years.