Eran likens IMF bailout to noose

Getting the approval for the process of the International Monetary Fund bailout loan has now pushed this country to a place to face the bitter truth, SJB MP Eran Wickremaratne says.

Addressing a press conference held at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo on Monday, MP Wickremratne said: “Some are of the opinion that all problems that we have will vanish into thin air just because we have been okayed for the IMF loan. That is a fallacy. This IMF loan is akin to asking us to get our necks into the noose first so that they would feed us thereafter.”

The government has not given due consideration for social welfare, the MP said. “There is no protection for the common people. This cannot move forward by driving the poor and the workforce to the wall. The government had continuously been talking to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the IMF. None of these talks could ensure social welfare protection for the poor and the workforce. We are asking not only from the government but also from the WB, ADB and the IMF where is the social protection for the people in this IMF loan project,” the MP queried.