(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena says the Government has already undertaken a development program that will promote long-term development and eradicate poverty among the poor equally benefitting all the people in the country.
The President said that the government’s development program is not something that satisfies a section of the people temporarily but it is a program that will recognize the pulse of the people and enable them to rise with self-esteem to face the world as a developed nation.
The President expressed his views at the inauguration of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Polonnaruwa Electorate board on Sunday (24) in Polonnaruwa.
President Sirisena said the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement initiated for poverty alleviation has become an island wide project and similarly the new ‘Gamperaliya’ program launched will also become an island wide program that will transform the rural department empowering the villages and the people.
He further said that to uplift the local entrepreneurs, the government has taken measures to introduce a new credit scheme which will provide a solution to the unemployment problem and a new impetus to the local production.
The President also said the government through the National Economic Council is focusing broad attention to economic development of the country as well as addressing the livelihood issues of the people.
President Sirisena stressed that the current government policy is to give greater value to local products and services.
Considering the issues faced by the local fruit farmers, the government has decided to raise the taxes on fruit imports and the measure will be implemented from next month.
The President further said the government, in order to give more value to the local fruits, expects to initiate a measure to ban cutting of all fruit trees identified by the Department of Agriculture and relevant specialists without a permit.
