Deputy Minister accuses Opposition of exploiting Middle East crisis
COLOMBO – Deputy Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Dr Prasanna Gunasena has said the 2027 Budget will mark a milestone in Sri Lanka’s economic transformation, while accusing the Opposition of attempting to exploit the global economic impact of the Middle East conflict for political gain.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday (4) during the debate on regulations issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969, Gunasena said the conflict had destabilized global fuel prices, affecting even countries that had been making economic progress.
He noted that rising fuel costs had contributed to increased inflation and the cost of living across several economies, adding that the resulting economic pressures were not confined to Sri Lanka.
However, he drew a distinction between the current global economic challenges and Sri Lanka’s financial crisis in 2022, arguing that the latter had resulted from the economic mismanagement of the then government rather than an international economic crisis.
Fuel imports had been disrupted at the time due to a lack of foreign exchange reserves, a situation which, he said, did not prevail today.
Gunasena accused the Opposition of using the current international economic situation to advance its political interests, dismissing its criticism of the government as unfounded.
He said the government had spent the past two years implementing programs aimed at achieving gradual and sustainable economic improvement.
He also criticized previous administrations for treating cash handouts, including the distribution of Rs 5,000 to the public, as economic progress, arguing that such measures had contributed to the country’s eventual bankruptcy.
The Deputy Minister further said development work on two expressways was expected to proceed next month with the support of the Treasury, stressing that financing infrastructure projects through additional borrowing, as had been done in the past, would ultimately place a greater burden on the public.
–ENCL
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