National People’s Power (NPP) Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised that the NPP will form a government that will think together with the entrepreneurs and businessmen and take the industries forward.

He emphasized this day before yesterday addressing the gathering at the launch of the National Tourism Policy of the National People’s Power held at the Monarch Imperial hotel in Sri Jayawardenepura.

“The manifesto that we have presented will definitely be put into action. We basically expect a few things from the tourism industry. The main way to find a short-term solution to the crisis in which the country has collapsed economically is the tourism industry. A major crisis that we are facing is that we are not able to find the amount of dollars that is needed annually and we are not able to generate income related to the expenditure in the country. The economic crisis is mainly caused by these two sources. A long-term, permanent economic plan should be prepared to earn the required amount of dollars and the amount of rupees required for the treasury. Tourism is one of the most important sectors in earning dollars. Urban settlement is a factor that many countries in the world have faced, but we have not faced yet. Chennai, Dhaka, Shanghai cities are facing this crisis. Our main economic strategy is to improve the economic and social life of the people in the village without relocating to urban areas. Our economic model has been prepared for that.

Currently, Western Province contributes 36 percent to the national economy, while Uva Province contributes only 4%. Only 5% from North Central Province. It is also clear how the economy has been built centered on Colombo. Even if it doesn’t seem like a crisis at the moment, it can create a crisis in the future. Therefore, the tourism industry has a special potential to improve the economic and social life by keeping the people of the village in the village. Plenty of coastline, central mountains, historical heritage are across the country in a considerable amount. Eradication of agro-ecological poverty is intertwined with the tourism industry. A businessman who is involved in the tourism industry and the tea industry at the same time mentioned a very important point to us. He said that even though he has been engaged in the tea industry for thirty years, he cannot pay more than Rs.35,000 to 40,000 per employee per month. But, an employee can get an allowance of around Rs.1,00,000 after working for a year in his tourist hotel.

This clearly shows the role of the tourism industry in eradicating rural poverty. Sri Lanka is behind in the world, and the North and East are further behind due to the war. The decades of war have deprived those people of the opportunities they should have in the economy.

Tourism has a very important role to play in bringing those people to economic activity quickly. Accordingly, we see the reality of the need of the tourism industry under our government.

What is our role there? If we try to achieve the tourist target of four million through the existing airport, our time will be wasted. If so, our airports should be modernised. You know why the investors who came to modernize the Katunayake airport left it. International level infrastructure should be provided according to priorities. It is being done with the understanding between you and us. Legal protection is also a basic requirement. Similarly, in countries where tourism is at the highest level, their national airline has been recognized as the most important role.

We are traditionally loyal to the national airline, and now we have a question about ‘AirLanka’. Can it be kept and developed by the government? Can it be jointly managed by the government with the assistance of a company with management capabilities? Or, giving up it completely.

We prefer to run it as a joint venture between the government and the private sector. When flowing from a normal state, institutions that are in a normal state are enough. But, if you want to take a special leap and undergo a transformation, you need an institution that integrates all those fields. For example, if we take the Mahaweli Authority, it has been given powers to build land, houses, roads, waterways and highways. If the tourism industry is to take a leap, separate commission proposed by us must be established.

(dailynews.lk)

(This story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)