State Minister for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, stated that the effective economic program of President Ranil Wickremesinghe over the past two years has brought stability to the country despite difficult circumstances.

He also extended an invitation to opposition members and economic research experts who have made negative and unfounded claims to engage in an open dialogue on a suitable platform.

Addressing the press briefing themed “Collective Path to a Stable Country” held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) today (18), State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya further explained;

A presidential election is one of the most significant democratic decisions made by the people. At such a time, it is essential to create a platform to compare the country’s situation two years ago with its current state. The government’s responsibility includes ensuring the safety, welfare, and development of the people, necessitating dialogue at this critical moment.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who accepted the challenge of recovering the country in very difficult circumstances, has managed to steer the country in the right direction through his positive actions over the past two years. Opposition MPs and economic research experts who have presented negative and unfounded claims should engage in an open dialogue on a suitable platform to address these baseless statements.

As the State Minister for Finance, I am always ready to detail the positive steps taken by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to recover the country from the recent economic crisis.

Today, under the leadership of President Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance, a new loan scheme for small and medium enterprises was introduced. This loan, provided at a subsidized interest rate of 7% based on a loan from the Asian Development Bank, has an allocation of Rs.50 billion. The main purpose of this initiative is to strengthen small and medium enterprises.

Under this scheme, small and medium enterprises can receive loans up to a maximum of Rs.10 million. Additionally, Rs.6 billion will be allocated for the development of small tea gardens, and Rs.2 billion will be designated for women entrepreneurs.There is also a need for a debt security agency, which will be established in October. This agency will assist borrowers who are unable to provide guarantee.

A special committee has been appointed to address issues related to all sectors affected by vehicle import restrictions. The committee met in the first week of July, and their report will be submitted to the Cabinet by the second week of August. Plans are then being made to outline the process for resuming vehicle imports.

Additionally, the results of the examination for the recruitment of customs inspectors have been released. Interviews are scheduled for July 26 and 27. We also expect the results for the recruitment of Assistant Superintendents of Customs to be released this week. It should be noted that this recruitment process is being conducted transparently.

(President’s Media Division)