President says his decision-making always centred on country

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said he never hesitated in taking decisions for the good and well-being of the country, like he did when he took a firm decision to end the 30-year old war and protect the sovereignty of the nation. “We had to decide if we are going to see this country divided or liberated from the clutches of murderous terrorists. The benefit of that decision is being reaped by the people today”.

The President was speaking at the first year anniversary of the Litro Gas Company.

He said not just the company but they as a government was are proud of the fact that a venture that was running at a loss and was a burden on the people for 15 years was turned around to be a profit making concern in just one year.

The President stressed on the need to preserve state institutions and similarly turn them into profitable ventures where the public could reap the dividends.

He recalled the time when national assets were privatized under various pretexts to be handed over to foreigners. Some attempted to make privatization the norm by setting up institutions such as PERC.

In the end even the country was on the verge of being bartered away to foreigners, the President noted.

“On the contrary we always acted on the basis of protecting the country’s wealth in keeping with our conscience and that public institutions should be made to run as profitable ventures.

The President observed that if the country’s assets were to be owned by outsiders, we would be reduced to slaves. He recalled the time when he was Labour Minister how attempts were made to privatize the saltern.

However, they were able to salvage it with the help of ETF funds.

There were also attempts to give away the tea estates. Here too the ETF came to the rescue. The people were to reap the fruits of these decisions.

“It was said that the Insurance Company and the Apollo Hospital belonged to the Rajapaksas. It is only now that the people realize that this is not so. Similarly, when an agency was created to send Sri Lankans for foreign jobs it was said that it was my agency. But we won’t be deterred by such falsehoods, the President said adding the lies and falsehoods had only a short lifespan.

He said the country is set on the road towards unprecedented development and called on the people not to reverse the trend by being taken in by falsehoods and rumours.