Presidential Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Prof. Ashu Marasinghe said that looking at the way people in the country went shopping and on holidays, it is impossible to think that there is an economic crisis in the country. Marasinghe said this while speaking at the press conference held yesterday (29) at Sirikotha, the UNP headquarters.
Prof. Marasinghe further said: “Many people didn’t want Sri Lanka to seek the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). They said that if we did it, we would be destroyed. But no one says how the economy can be recovered without IMF assistance. They just ask for power to resolve issues.
“When asked to accept the post of Prime Minister, they laid conditions and later expressed different opinions and tried to accept it through the back door. Due to the visionary action taken by President Ranil Wickremesinghe who accepted the challenge of the Presidency, we have created a country that can stand on its own feet.
“The IMF also pointed out that the biggest challenge we faced last year was to increase state revenue. Increasing dollar reserves had become the second most important issue. Sri Lanka receives foreign remittances with more enthusiasm now than in the past. Every holiday site was full of people enjoying during the festival period.
The golf course gets crowded at night. People gather in Nugegoda, Maharagama and everywhere. They go shopping. If the economy had collapsed, we wouldn’t have behaved like this. People are lining up freely to enjoy their economic and mental freedom.
“It is crucial for us to raise the tax revenue. As of December 28, 2023, according to the data, the total tax revenue was Rs. 2,720 billion. But, as of October, we had only Rs. 253 billion in non-tax revenues.”
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