On The Road To Development Dotted With History

Much effort is taken by the present regime to put the country’s shaky economy in order. Commencing from the targets given to state institutions and the efforts taken to instill discipline on the roads we see that someone is trying to do something for a country that has enough natural resources to stand tall in terms of economic growth. That someone is President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

- Ravi Nagahawatte

What is his policy? Economists state that Gotabaya wishes to reduce imports and increase local produce; hence realising a healthy ratio when it comes to exports.

Gotabaya has concerns about those who don’t carry out his orders and those who fail to live up to his expectations. But one wonders whether the president is taking seriously Moody’s Investors’ Service which has degraded Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign-currency issuer and senior unsecured ratings to Caa1 from B2 and changed the Outlook to Stable!

Under all possible logical reasoning he wants the country to raise its economic profile. This thinking must be viewed positively. But what system he’d adapt and what drastic changes he’d make in the future are of concerns.

Very recently the Prime Minister of his government stated that moves are afoot to ban cattle slaughter and increase beef imports as an alternative. This suggestion has not gone down well with the Muslim and Christian communities. That’s Gotabaya; a president who would not stop until he puts the country in a mold and keep working on it till he produces a model for the nation that’s viable.