Govt will bridge budget deficit within few months: Mangala

The Government will bridge the budget deficit within a few months, Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday.

He said the Government has plans for reforms with the participation of all, including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, State Minister Eran Wickramaratne to achieve the target. “We should have a new mind set to achieve the target,” Minister Samaraweera said.

He made these observations during a press conference at the Finance Ministry Auditorium yesterday.

Minister Samaraweera said the Rajapaksa regime which did not make timely changes to the market economy of the country, upheld the crony capitalism which paved the way for the rise of the country’s debt by 233 percent. “This Government has to settle the loans. We took over the Government along with a massive debt issue, a garbage issue and fear psychosis. The Government is solving the issues,” he said.

The minister said the Meethotamulla Garbage Dump is a symbol of the nature of the government that was taken over the Good Governance Government from its predecessor.

Minister Samaraweera said the country marks 40 years of its open economy on July 22 introduced under the J. R. Jayawardena Government in 1977. He said the country experienced a massive change in the economy.

“Free trade zones were set up creating employments,” the minister said.