UNP welcomes Govt’s decision to seek IMF assistance – Vajira

United National Party (UNP) Chairman Vajira Abeywardena said that the UNP is happy that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at least now, even after a delay, as one measure towards rescuing the country from the dire situation it is in.

He said that Ranil Wickremesinghe had requested the Government over the past year to seek IMF assistance. Abeywardena was speaking at a meeting of UNP activists held at Ambalantota in the Hambantota district on March 17.

“Today the whole country is facing a catastrophe. About a year ago, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe predicted that the country was being pushed towards such a catastrophe,” he said.

He said that the UNP Leader was asking the Government to go to the IMF as one step towards rescuing the country from this situation. But the government did not take any action for about a year. Now the situation has worsened.

Addressing the Nation, the President stated that he had decided to go to the International Monetary Fund. It is a very good decision. It is important to consider even after a year. It is only by implementing this decision that Sri Lanka will become internationally recognised,” he said.

He added that the world changed completely, especially after the COVID pandemic. Countries around the world enacted new laws. “New monetary regulations were introduced. New economic regulations were brought in. Even as of now, none of this has been implemented in Sri Lanka,” Abeywardena added.

“Due to this massive economic crisis, all sectors of the country have collapsed and the people are suffering. If the country is to recover from this situation, a UNP Government should be established immediately”.