By Saman Indrajith

SLPP National List MP Professor Ranjith Bandara told Parliament yesterday that the government’s economic policies and their feasibility had been amply reflected in the Central Bank annual report, the Finance Ministry’s performance report and in its mid-year fiscal report presented to Parliament during the last week of its sittings.

Moving a motion for the debate at the time of the adjournment of the House, Professor Bandara said that those reports scientifically analyzed and recounted the major economic setbacks suffered by the country’s economy during 2015-2019 due to the unhealthy economic policies, weak management and poor decision making of the previous government.

Prof. Bandara said that the said reports could be used to formulate future economic policies and strategies.

The adjournment motion was then seconded by SLPP Gampaha District MP Sahan Pradeep Withana, who said the country’s economy had been severely affected by the poor decision making and management under the previous government, the Easter Sunday carnage and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citing the annual report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, MP Withana also said that there were several institutions that had not submitted their annual reports for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 to the CBSL. The institutes include National Insurance Corporation, Electricity Board, Lanka Sugar, Sathosa, Lotteries Board and Ceylon Fisheries Corporation.

MP Withana said that during the previous government, financial assistance for the private sector had decreased. He added that investors and entrepreneurs had lost confidence due to lack of political stability as well.

The MP pointed out that the government revenue had decreased by Rs. 29 billion in 2019, compared to 2018.

MP Withana said that the government expenditure had increased by 8.2% in 2019 compared to 2018.