(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says the necessary background has been laid to create new investments and new revenue streams in the country and steps will be taken to create new employment opportunities within the next five years.
Pointing out that when the present government took over the country in 2015, it faced many challenges, the Prime Minister said the government was able to strengthen the economy systematically overcoming those challenges.
Based on the economic development steps will be taken to create new employment opportunities for all the job seekers, the Premier said addressing a function held at the Temple Trees yesterday (18) to hand over appointment letters to 4200 external degree holders recruited as trainee officers.
Speaking further Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said the government has begun to advance and strengthen the ways to create more jobs, although the process took a long time.
“I admit that it took some time to get to this point. You may be disappointed about it. But we did not have the economic strength to speed up the journey. If we expedited the process we would not have the capability to pay the salaries to all the appointees. But now we are embarking on that journey with the potential to create new jobs and income. In the next five years, we will develop a program that will enable all job seekers to have an income source.”
The Premier pointed out that developing the country is Sri Lanka’s own responsibility. “Other countries have no duty or responsibility to rebuild our country. Therefore, we should take steps to build the country with our own strength. This strength enables us to face the future without fear.”
The Minister of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government Vajira Abeywardena said that the present Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has done a great service to the education sector during his tenure as Minister of Education. He pointed out that starting science faculties, recruiting trained teachers and granting Mahapola scholarships are among them.
Abeywardena added that the present government has been able to provide a gradual solution to the unemployment problem of graduates and there is no government in the history of the country that has done so much for education.
Minister of State for Primary Industries and Social Empowerment Ali Zahir Moulana Saeed, Minister of Ports and Shipping and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the Ministry of National Policy, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs V Sivagnanasothy also participated in the occasion.
