Academia hails Government’s economic achievements
Chaminda Perera
Members of the academia at an intellectual forum on Friday hailed the
Government’s sound economic strategy and its achievements in the midst
of global financial downturn and fight against terrorism.
The country managed to maintain an overall economic growth rate of
1.8 percent for the first 6 months of 2009 and aims to achieve over 3.05
by December 31.
According to Professor W. D. Lakshman, this is an achievement in a
country which faced economic recession and war on terrorism effectively.
“The Country has paid equal attention towards the eradication of
terrorism and the country’s development at a time when there is a global
economic recession, he said. There was fear from certain quarters that
the country would be affected by the global economic recession. But the
Government was able to cushion the adverse impact of the global
financial down turn by taking a number of precautionary measures.
He said the Government should make the tax system more simple. A
large number of people evade paying taxes due to their complexity. What
we should do is to make the tax system more simple to enable them to pay
taxes. Professor Lakshman said the graduates who have been appointed as
Samurdhi Bank managers are providing remarkable service to the country
and the Jana Sbaha Secretaries will promote production and development
at village level. Professor Sunanda Madduma Bandara said the
unemployment rate will further go down after 14,174 graduates are posted
as Jana Sabha Secretaries.
He added that the Education Ministry has also planned to recruit more
than 3000 graduates as aesthetic teachers. “The Government has been able
to maintain the unemployment rate at 6.2 percent in a country which
faced the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world.
He said investment will get a tremendous boost with the decrease of
interest rates in banks. The ordinary masses will also benefit by this
move, he said.
All segments of the economy and the society at large will benefit by
the Government’s decision to reduce the bank interest rate,” Professor
Madduma Bandara said.
He said the local production and investment would also receive
tremendous boost after this decision.
Professor Laksiri Fernando said this is the first Government that
provided a large number of employment opportunities to the graduates.
The youths irrespective of their political affiliations received
employments.
“The previous Governments that came into power after 1977, attempted
to shrink the public service by introducing various voluntary retirement
scheme. This is the first Government which believed the importance of
having a strong public service, he said.
Professor Fernando said the Mahinda Chinthana is based on the
development experiences in South Asian and East Asian region.
‘The Regaining Sri Lanka’ program introduced by the previous UNF
Governement was based on outdated economic principals and experiences in
the West,” he added.
A number of programs are in place to encourage the local
entrepreneurs and their productions. He said the Government has
facilitated major investments to take place in the country by providing
necessary infrastructure facilities. All most all Governments in the
past focused on how the public service could be reduced but it is only
this Government that strengthened the public service.
Professor W. D. Lakshman said the present Government has deviated
from the neo liberal economic policy which was followed by all
Governments after 1977.
“This Government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa adopted a new
economic strategy which places more emphasis on infrastructure and
social development of the country. Unprecedented investment in the
health and education sector will bear fruits,” he said.
Local entrepreneurs are being encouraged by the Government providing
more incentives and concessions
Unlike in the past, the State is playing the major role in the
economy and the Government has become a key facilitator for investment. |
