Approach IMF to overcome crisis – UNP

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that if the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not approached, the country will land in serious trouble.

Speaking at a discussion with the UNP Colombo District Committee at Sirikotha Party Headquarters the former Prime Minister said the beginning of every problem is the fact that the country has no dollars.

“That is why I said in Parliament that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has to be approached. But it is apparent that the government is not in favour of doing it. I also requested that the projects we started which were abandoned half way should be recommenced. He added that there is a sum of USD 4 billion in those projects. “When that work commences the IMF will give us loans. If not, the country will be in serious trouble,” he said.

UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene said the Finance Minister proved it through the Budget that the Central Bank Treasury Bond transaction had not caused a loss to the country and I am thankful to him for that.What they said themselves have had to be corrected by them, he said.

“We retained Rs.12 billion at the Central Bank when purchasing Treasury Bonds.They reduced that amount to Rs. 8.5 billion. An inquiry will have to be made to find out where the balance money went. The government is surviving through whatever they are doing. This is how karma in this life is taking its toll. They are having to face the same things they did during our government, now during the tenure of their own government.

Former MP Sandith Samarasinghe said people thought that a Budget where an income would come into their hands and where they could have three meals a day would be presented. However, ultimately, they had to stand in queues and look for things to eat and drink. The refinery is also closed. There are queues for fuel on the roads.On the other hand,the gas queue. The suspicion arises through what members of the government are saying whether we will have to go back to the 1970-77 era.