Wednesday Dec 04, 2024
Wednesday Dec 04, 2024
Wednesday, 4 December 2024 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa |
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has praised the Government’s move to consider extending the stay on parate executions to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with the current stay set to expire on 15 December.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Premadasa, however, stressed that an extension alone would be insufficient and called for additional measures to help struggling businesses recover. Premadasa urged the Government to offer affordable working capital to SMEs and establish mechanisms to assist those unable to resume operations. “They must be provided with working capital at a cost they can afford,” he said.
He also recommended that the Government explore partial debt relief for SMEs, suggesting either wiping out a portion of their debts or, at the very least, waiving the interest on outstanding loans.
In addition to SME-related issues, Premadasa raised concerns about the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement signed by the previous Government. While acknowledging the necessity of adhering to the IMF program’s framework, he urged the Government to negotiate with the IMF to remove provisions he deemed harmful to the public.
Citing a speech by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Premadasa said, “The President himself has stressed the importance of understanding the ground reality.” He tabled the speech in Parliament, highlighting the President’s concerns over the IMF agreement.
“We point out that certain aspects of the IMF program harm the people. We are ready to assist the Government if it takes action on this issue,” Premadasa concluded, expressing the Opposition’s willingness to collaborate on alleviating public burdens.
