News
Ranil blames incompetence of govt. for present crises
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday accused the incumbent government of having plunged the country into a deep economic and political crisis with its “incompetence in dealing with the financial challenges” while also stating that the utter failure has led to a situation where the people are standing in long queues.
“It (economic crisis) never happened in our time…when our government was here there were no queues of people to buy the basic necessities. There should not have been any reason for the people to come on the streets. But it’s all happening because of the incompetence of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government,” former PM Wickremesinghe told Asian News International.
Wickremesinghe also told the Indian news agency that when he was the PM in 2019 the country’s economy was in a healthy status with capital surplus but the incompetency of the current government had brought the people on to the streets.
“The dire economic situation has led to the political crisis, and what is happening is a disaster to the country. For two years, this government ignored all the signs of the looming economic issues.
I remember when I left the office in 2019 we had a surplus budget and there was enough money to pay (for our imports),” Wickremesinghe told ANI.
On the issue of not going to the IMF for relief in connection with the ongoing economic crisis, Wickremesinghe slammed the incumbent government for not making timely interventions.
He said that it will take a long time for any meaningful relief to come even if the government approaches the IMF. The government, meanwhile, has decided to send a delegation to the IMF soon.
“I don’t think that the government has enough resources left in the reserves and now they seek to borrow from the leading export companies to pay the bills. The line of credit for fuel extended by India will last till the second week of May,” he said, adding that Sri Lanka will be in serious trouble afterwards.
He said that India had helped Sri Lanka to the maximum. “We will have to see the outcome of the support of India while New Delhi is still helping in non-financial ways,” said Wickremesinghe.
Wickremesinghe charged that the government was not looking after the economy while suggestions were made for going to the IMF in 2020 and 2021.
“The government did not go to the IMF on the advice of the central bank and the treasury and the people are now paying the price,” he told ANI.
He also stated that no new Chinese investment under this government has come to the country.
Representatives from the ’The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’ met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Wednesday [24th of June] at the Parliament premises.
During the meeting, discussions focused on the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 (SLEIS 2026), which is scheduled to be held on 12 and 13 October 2026. Attention was also given to digitalization initiatives, the introduction of digital technologies in schools under new education reforms, and the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka’s education sector.
Representatives of the Chamber noted that the summit would serve as an important platform for encouraging both local and foreign investment, while also contributing to the shaping of the country’s future economic policies.
The meeting was attended by Krishan Balendra, Chairman of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Vinod Hirdaramani, Deputy Vice Chairman; Shiran Fernando, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer; Aliki Perera, Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer; and Anagi Rodrigo-Weerasekera, Chief Economist and Head of Economic Intelligence, along with several other representatives.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
A discussion to review the progress of the housing project under which 4,700 houses are being constructed for the Malayagam community with Indian assistance was held this afternoon (24) at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi.
Under this housing programme, 2,026 houses are to be provided to families identified by the National Building Research Institute (NBRI) as being at disaster risk. The remaining houses are expected to be allocated to eligible workers residing in the plantation sector.
Accordingly, the houses will be provided to Malayagam community families living on estates belonging to 22 Regional Plantation Companies, as well as estates under the State Plantations Corporation, Janawasama and Elkaduwa Plantations.
For the construction of each house, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 2.8 million, while the Government of Sri Lanka has contributed Rs. 400,000.
During the discussion, Chandrakeerthi instructed officials to ensure that the housing project is completed before the end of this year. He further directed that land identified for the construction of houses be released without delay and that the National Building Research Institute provide the necessary reports to identify suitable land for the project.
The housing project is being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation and the Plantation Human Development Trust.
Among those present were Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, K. S. Wijayakeerthi; Director General (Engineering), N. D. N. Pushpakumara; Director General (Planning), W. A. K. S. Damayanthi; the Secretary General of the Planters’ Association; and officials from the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation, relevant institutions and plantation companies.
(PMD)
It has been reported that Attorney at Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged links with the underworld.
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Progress of Housing Project for Malayagam Community families funded by India reviewed
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