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The Government also took over private enterprises that were running at a loss and ensured their improvement.
He recalled that all previous governments had undertaken to prune the state service numerically in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, while President Mahinda Rajapaksa deviated from this process.
The minister said this at a meeting held recently at Kalutara Vernon Fernando Esplanade, where 3,985 motorcycles were distributed among technical officers in the Kalutara District.
He declared: “Our economy was in a weak state of affairs when we took over. Land extent had been reduced on one hand and there was a terrible dispute on the other. Trade balance was at a low ebb. Not only that, our foreign exchange reserve was diminishing and was not adequate even for two weeks. Economic Development was nil. It was thought not possible for a President taking over a country in such a state of affairs to change these policies by consulting international financial agencies, but the President put forward his policy statement ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ and won over the country and managed to change some of the policies in consultation with these agencies.
“Like in our country, most countries in the world had commenced the process of privatising state agencies. It had been planned to privatise production and transmission of electricity, insurance, the transport system etc., but the President turned it upside down. Now international organisations, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank have fallen in line with these principles and have agreed to grants credit to strengthen the public service. Other countries in the world have followed suit and are taking action to strengthen the public service in their countries. “
The minister added that the President took steps not only to conserve public service, but also to widen the horizon of public service and restore the lost rights of the public servant and grant new rights as well, diverting the total financial policies towards this direction. The minister further stated that this distribution of motorcycles was a gesture which demonstrated the sensitivity the President has toward the public service and indicates the direction in which the state service is presently geared toward.
Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Reginold Cooray, Vidura Wickramanayake, Janaka Bandara and a host of state officials, including the Kalutara District Secretary, were present at the occasion.
