Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
Monday, 19 June 2023 02:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
SJB Colombo Mayoral candidate Mujibur Rahman
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Colombo Mayoral candidate Mujibur Rahman yesterday accused the current Government of deliberately attempting to conceal economic crimes committed by it in the guise of economic recovery efforts.
“Today we are faced with the problem of how long will we be able to continue in the current economic crisis. The Department of Census and Statistics and the Central Bank have reported on the current situation. Similarly, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has also elaborated on the country’s current economic situation. Accordingly, we can understand where we are today,” he said.
Rahman accused the President, the cabinet, and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) of making false assertions about Sri Lanka being in a stable situation. “They are attempting to conceal various economic crimes which occurred under the current Government in the guise of rebuilding it,” he alleged.
Presenting the latest statistics issued by the Department of Census and Statistics and the FAO on the economy and its devastating effect on the people, Rahman accused the Government of not utilising the IMF funding to initiate development in the production process.
“Neither have we witnessed investments coming in. Instead, we see manufacturers closing down factories and jobs being lost. The economy is shrinking,” he said. “The tall claims of the President, cabinet spokespersons and Ministers are not the reality,” he added.
The SJB stalwart blamed the Government and its failure to elicit international trust for its repeated failures. “An environment conducive to investments has not been created. Not even local investors are investing anymore. They are attempting to save their funds instead,” he said.
“The longer the President and the Government are in power, the increase in poverty and the shrinking of the economy is leading to chaos. This cannot be subdued through the introduction of suppressive laws,” he noted.
Rahman called on the President to dissolve parliament and allow the people to create a new political situation in the country. “A cabinet consisting of those who stole public monies cannot rebuild the country nor gain international trust,” he said.
