Increased production, key to raising living standards - Minister Amunugama

The peoples’ standard of living can be strengthened by increasing the productivity capacity of local industries and also by inducing the people to increase their savings, said Senior Minister for International Monetary Corporation and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Sarath Amunugama.

The Senior Minister was speaking at a series of public meetings and functions at Galagedera and Hataraliyadda.

Senior Minister Amunugama said among other things, that if the people are to be bestowed with a reasonable standard of living, the country’s production capacity should be planned in a systematic manner. A country that forgets the crops that grow well in a country, that forgets the commodities that can be produced successfully, forgets the small industries and a country which ignores the value of rural industries, a country which pays little attention to the rural economy, a country which ignores the economic potentiality in endeavors to uplift the handloom industry, has no future.

“The aims and efforts of the Government are to develop small scale domestic industries thereby strengthening and improving the living standards of the people. The Government aims to produce whatever is feasible, locally and increase the incomes of the people. When those objectives are achieved, the people be on the right path,” he said.

“The people must get used to the habit of living thrifty lives by saving small amounts of money .In today’s context, one reason for today’s “ills” are largely due to the unnecessary spending spree and neglect of frugal living habits. In the past, our parents grew their requirements of vegetables.But today, even those people living in remote villages have been accustomed to buying most of their requirements,such as, Jak, bead-fruit and other vegetables. We should not discard these facts, contending that they are just ‘simple’ facts, Senior Minister Amunugama.

“ We must firmly resolve ourselves to ensure that local commodities are produced not only to meet the requirements of our market only, but, that they are also produced to capture foreign markets. This will bring in valuable foreign exchange.Our Development Plans should reflect these aims and objectives,” he said. “Sri Lanka’s requirement of sugar is a good example to reflect on. We produce only around 50% of our sugar requirements.