SL records lowest unemployment rate in its history: Basil

Saturday, 22 March 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has revealed that Sri Lanka’s unemployment rate has recorded a historic low. Minister Rajapaksa said that Sri Lanka’s unemployment rate has come down to 4.5% whereas in some European countries the unemployment

rate is 45%. The Minister noted that the country had recorded the lowest unemployment percentage in history. The Economic Development Minister, speaking after laying the foundation stone for a multipurpose building at Mawaramandiya in Biyagama, said that programs such as Divi Neguma were launched in line with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ concept of ‘Building a Wonder Nation through strengthening the village economy by establishing a self-reliant family,’ strengthening the people economically and minimising their dependence on the market for their requirements, aiming at an affluent nation. The ambitious national program ‘Divi Neguma’ towards ‘A Self-Reliant Household – A Wonderful Motherland’ is designed to establish domestic economic units countrywide with the scope of strengthening people’s living standards. Minister Rajapaksa further said that the program ‘Pura Neguma’ is being launched in several areas, in line with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ concept. The Minister also pointed out that it is only now development is equally taking place in the town as well as the village. Deputy Ministers Indika Bandaranayake and Dulip Wijesekara and Chairman of the Biyagama Pradeshiya Sabha Ananda Ganepola were also present at the occasion.