Harsha on Govt.’s ‘Parliament Jokes’

UNP MP Harsha de Silva yesterday in Parliament during the debate read an extract from the book - Western Powers and the Destiny of Sri Lanka authored by Minister Wimal Weerawansa. “In this book there is a saying that rich countries provide loans to construct power plants, harbours, highways, and industrial parks, which are not required by the poor. Later the lenders prompt that huge debt is outstanding where they seek a pound of flesh.This is where the word economic hit men cropped up.

 I heard him calling the Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara with various names lately. The problem between them is the IMF loan. If you are saying that Government didn’t ask for loan but IMF forced us to take the loan, this is the biggest joke I have heard. This is what you call Parliament Jokes. We all knew that Dr. Jayasundara at a media conference revealed that the Government is seeking a budgetary support. Now you are saying a different story. You very well know that IMF doesn’t give such facilities unless it is highly required by a fallen economy. But you expected them to grant the loan. They agreed to provide the loan as an extended fund facility in return for economic reforms. So the discussion failed,” Dr De Silva added.