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Cabraal stresses need to be mindful of country’s economic health

Published

5 years ago

2020/10/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

‘Govt. has proved doomsayers wrong by taking appropriate action’

by Saman Indrajith

State Finance Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal told parliament on Friday (23) that while dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, the country should be mindful of the sustenance of its economy as well.

Cabraal noted that the Covid-19 pandemic had taken the world by surprise. “It was a great shock to the entire world. No one was prepared for it and it was a big question in everyone’s mind how we should deal with it, what effects it would have on the economy, etc. However, we had to take certain short-term measures Had these decisions not been taken, it would have been a grave hindrance to the country’s progress.”

Minister Cabraal said the government had wasted no time in identifying the priorities and understood that the pandemic would not end anytime soon. But, the issue of how the government was going to address the economic repercussions had also come up, he said.

“That is the reason we had to impose certain import restrictions. It was important to take some tough decisions in order to maintain our economic stability. Many thought that it would not be possible to manage the economy and the rupee would devalue and the economy would collapse.”

Some wished for the collapse of the economy while shedding crocodile tears, he said, adding that even during the war some people had expected the economy to go belly up.

Minister Cabraal said that today there was a new normal and the country needed to adapt to it. “Sometimes, we may have to change our attitudes. We were able to overcome these adversities and even relax some of the import restrictions. Although many thought we could not handle it we have managed to do so. We have also managed to pay back our debts and even get the required medical supplies.”

The Minister pointed out that despite bleak predictions by many that the country would crumble in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had managed to steer the country through it all and overcome those challenges. “The IMF, World Bank and ADB had made bleak predictions in their regional reports regarding Sri Lanka’s ability to face the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, they had predicted Sri Lanka would record poor exports, tourist arrivals, foreign earnings from migrant workers, high interest rates, higher trade deficit and inability to meet foreign debt repayments, etc. However, despite these predictions, the government and all state institutions worked hard and took measures to face this situation. As a result, these institutions have exceeded expectations and produced results. The rupee did not collapse the way they expected. We continued to pay back loans.”

The Minister added that even the unemployment rate had decreased from 5.7 to 5.4, according to the second quarter statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department. He noted that exports had grown to pre-COVID levels.

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CIABOC questions Ex-President GR on house for CJ’s maid

Published

35 mins ago

2026/03/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Mohan / Gotabaya

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday (17) recorded a statement from former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the allocation of a house for a maid working at the residence of the then Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, PC.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the Secretary to the Ministry Defence and Urban Development, allegedly authorised the allocation of the house on the recommendation of the CJ during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term. The Rajapaksa government brought in Peiris as the Chief Justice after impeaching Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake in January 2013.

The allocation of the house was made by the Urban Development Authority (UDA), following the mandatory examination of the request, sources said, adding that during that time the government had launched several mega housing projects in Colombo and its suburbs to accommodate those living in shanties, etc.

CIABOC is expected to record a statement from ex-CJ Peiris who subsequently served as the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Post-Ditwah Indian recovery assistance to SL: health experts from here visited India

Published

36 mins ago

2026/03/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

As part of the assistance extended by the Government of India towards rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, a four-member technical delegation of health experts from Sri Lanka visited India recently.

The Indian HC said: “The delegation studied the Indian models of Medical Kiosks/Health ATMs, Mobile Diagnostic Laboratories and the telemedicine platform ‘eSanjeevani’ to explore replicating these initiatives in Sri Lanka in order to strengthen the local healthcare delivery system.

During the visit, the delegation participated in a series of technical sessions organized by premier Indian institutions like National Health Authority, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). Visits were arranged for the delegation to Combined Hospital at Loni, Ghaziabad, and Civil Hospital, Sector 10, Gurugram as part of exposure to India’s digital health ecosystem. Demonstrations were conducted on Mobile Health Kiosks / Health ATMs, including basic diagnostics and their role in strengthening primary healthcare delivery. The Sri Lankan experts were also provided an overview of India’s highly successful Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. A live teleconsultation through eSanjeevani was demonstrated, highlighting the integration of remote consultations with digital health records.

The initiative reflects the continued robust cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in strengthening healthcare delivery systems, particularly in vulnerable areas, and supporting recovery efforts among affected communities.”

News

Professor G L Peiris addresses seminar at national university of singapore

Published

38 mins ago

2026/03/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

(Professor G.L.Peiris and Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director of the Institute.)

Professor G.L. Peiris, former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, addressed a seminar on current international affairs and the peace process of Sri Lanka last week in the National University of Singapore. Organised by the Institute of South Asian Studies of Singapore University, the event was chaired by Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director of the Institute.

Professor Peiris presented an analysis of far-reaching changes in the world today, with emphasis on the replacement of rules-based systems by unilateralism and impulse, scant regard being paid to legitimacy. Against the background of peace processes assuming heightened significance in many parts of the world, he dealt with the structure and dynamics of the peace process in his own country, examining its limited achievements and the reasons why it failed to achieve its broader objectives. While each situation has unique characteristics and successful initiatives cannot be mechanically applied in different contexts, he explained the value of the Sri Lankan experience from a comparative perspective.

A vigorous question and answer session followed.

The seminar was attended by academics, diplomats, and representatives of civil society.