Increasing production, exports essential for sustainable development - Treasury Secretary

The Treasury Secretary Dr P B Jayasundera, speaking at a programme to edify the small and medium scale entrepreneurs of the Anuradhapura District on the opportunities afforded from the Budget 2011 to further advance their businesses held at the Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce recently said that increasing production and strengthening exports is essential for a country's sustainable economic development.

Treasury Secretary Dr P B Jayasundera addressing the gathering

This programme was organized by the Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director P B Dissanayake. North Central Province Chief Secretary W P Dayananda, District Secretary Mahinda Seneviratne, Provincial Agriculture Ministry Secretary R K Premasiri, Anuradhapura District Commerce, Industries and Agriculture Chamber President Nissanka Bandara, Executive Director P B Dissanayake, Past President Amal Piyathilaka and a large number of small and medium scale entrepreneurs of the Anuradhapura District participated in this programme.

Speaking further, Dr Jayasundera said, "It would be far from wrong if this Budget 2011 is identified as the best budget proposed in the recent past.

Through this budget, a host of provisions have been made to transform in to a production economy. Many treat the Anuradhapura District as a district earmarked for agriculture. But, my idea is that this district has many business opportunities including tourism, livestock resources and fisheries supplementing agriculture. Other than that, a large amount of money has been allocated for the Anuradhapura District through this year's Deyata Kirula. We will be developing Anuradhapura as one of Sri Lanka's best cities through those funds."

Speaking at this programme, Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director P B Dissanayake said that if the 2011 Budget proposals are acted upon, opportunities will arise for the small and medium scale entrepreneurs to develop their businesses. But, because of the gap that exists between the state and private sectors especially in the Anuradhapura District, obstacles will arise in the fruition of these good intentions, he said.