President denies responsibility for economic crisis

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Saturday (26) that the current economic crisis hadn’t been caused by him or his government. He said so, speaking at a ceremony in Embilipitiya, where Mahaweli Ranbima deeds were distributed among 100,000 Mahaweli settlers.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) quoted the President as having said: “Lack of foreign exchange is a major problem the country is facing at present. One of the main reasons for this is the loss of foreign exchange earnings from tourism and foreign employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Debts taken by previous governments have to be repaid with interest. These problems did not occur due to a fault of mine or the government.”

The President pointed out that to overcome present challenges, the Opposition, the people and the government must work together. He did not expect any responsible party to carry out disruptive strikes and false propaganda, he added.

The President said he would not deviate from the democratic system that guarantees the freedom and aspirations of the people in governing the country.

The President urged all parties not to abuse the freedom that comes with it.

In keeping with the President’s policy programme, Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour, the Ranbima Deed Programme is being implemented to grant the people the right to a clear title to the land. The government is planning to issue 100,000 deeds this year.

Under the first phase, 35,000 title deeds will be handed over to farmers in 10 Mahaweli zones. The government is planning to complete the distribution of all land deeds of the farmers living in the Mahaweli areas before the end of next year. Having legal ownership of the land gave the owners a number of opportunities including the ability to transfer of inheritance to family members and do transactions with financial institutions keeping the land as a surety, the President said.

The President and the Prime Minister presented deeds to 30 people, symbolising the launch of the Ranbima Deed Programme.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said the government was also elated to see the people living in the Mahaweli zones receiving deeds, at last.

The Prime Minister said that the so-called revolutionary parties had taken to the streets once the importation of chemical fertilisers was restricted and that the agitations by setting fire to the paddy fields and destroying crops were not done out of love for the farmers but for political gain.

Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said that issuing title deeds alone would not solve the problems of the Mahaweli farming community and that it was the duty of the farming community to cultivate all farmlands in the national interest.

The Minister also said that the government would transform the third generation in the Mahaweli region into entrepreneurs.

State Minister Sirisena Gamlath said that the Rajapaksas had protected not only the lands of farmers in the Mahaweli region but also their dear lives.