Opinion
Bring back those dollars
We have heard from reliable foreign sources and the Minister of Justice Dr. Wijedasa Raajpakse that there is either a sum of dollars 32 billion or 52 billion dollars which is due to Sri Lanka as export earnings held in overseas accounts of Sri Lankan exporters. While the country is going from bad to worse and the people are told to tighten their belts, the policy makers act dumb and claim that they must wait until the IMF decides to grant relief amounting to USD 2.9 billion.
We have visited the IMF on a number of occasions but we are yet again in a very tight spot and await them to solve our problems.
If the policy makers are keen to follow the IMF dictates and get its funds, let them go ahead, but why can’t the policy makers negotiate with those who hold Sri Lanka’s export earnings to remit the funds in installments of 10 billion dollars beginning from March onwards?
RANJITH SOYSA