Government to initiate new projects to help rural communities to strengthen the national economy – Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the government is currently working to initiate new projects across every area of Sri Lanka and to bring the necessary investments to rural areas in order to improve the participation of the communities in strengthening the national economy.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a public gathering held on Saturday (12th) in Nanattan, Mannar.

Prime Minister further stated:

“Our country has reached a decisive point. The government of the National People’s Power (NPP)  understands the expectations of the people. The general public came together despite the ethnic and religious barriers to exercise their voting right against  corruption in politics that existed in this country. Consequently, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was able to become the President in 2024. A month later, we formed a Parliament that will initiate in changing the history. Today, we have a government made up of 159 members. There is now a strong group in Parliament standing against corruption and a government that represents all ethnicities, religions, and regions. For the first time in history, we have formed a government made by a single party that represents everyone. The people are the ones who made this victory possible and they are the true victors in this cause.

We are committed to protecting the trust the people have placed in us and to fulfill their expectations.

You are well aware of how weak the economy was when we came to power. Officially, we had been declared a bankrupt nation before the world. For many years, Sri Lanka had no economic growth and was in a debt-ridden economy. The tourism sector had collapsed. Due to the corruption in political authority, investors were unwilling to invest the country. Today, we have changed all that.  We have managed to steer the economy towards growth leading to investments being restored while the confidence in Sri Lanka is increasing internationally.

We are working to start new projects in every area of Sri Lanka to bring the necessary investments to the rural sector, with the aim of improving the participation of rural communities in the national economy.

The first budget of the NPP government has passed. Even though the economy is not yet strong, we focused on two main priorities in the budget: one was to develop infrastructure necessary for economic growth, and the other was to provide relief to people burdened by economic hardships. That’s why we have increased and extended the period of Aswesuma benefits. Further, vouchers to buy schoolbooks was distributed at schools with less than 300 students.

Previous governments were a burden to the people. But today, we have a very small Cabinet of Ministers. The government is no longer a burden to the people. We have reduced expenses, minimized losses, and eliminated corruption.

Because the government  is not a burden to the people, it was able to provide relief to the people. Through this budget, the basic salaries of  the public service has been increased. They have been given the opportunity to work freely. Decisions are now made on statistical data and not based on political preferences. What we expect is an independent public service. We are in need of a people-centered government as well as a public service which should be an efficient, corruption-free and people-sensitive. We have already created the necessary environment for that.

In order to develop the rural economy, the government has allocated a large amount of funding through this year’s budget. But, to ensure that these allocations are used properly to serve the people, the local government institutions need to be cleaned up. If the leaders who represents the villages are corrupt, the funds allocated will become worthless. That is why the upcoming local government elections has become extremely significant and decisive.”

The event was attended by the Members of Parliament Jegadeeswaran and S .Thilakanadan, public representatives, and candidates of local government election representing the NPP.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]