SLFPer praises Prez for making country third most suitable destination for tourists

By Ifham Nizam

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa deserves credit for the success of the ongoing vaccination programme countrywide, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday, adding that even international organisations had declared that Sri Lanka was currently the third most suitable destination for travel in the world.

“Therefore, I am confident that the tourism industry in our country will grow further. I believe that the growth of the tourism industry is a very good sign that the country is recovering from the current economic downturn,” he said.

Due to the success of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, Sri Lanka was being recognized internationally as one of the best countries in the world for tourism and the increase in tourist arrivals here is a positive sign for the economic development, the SLFP Minister in the government said.

Minister Amaraweera said so at an event held at the Beliatta Vocational Training Centre to provide the equipment required for CFC free Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Course conducted by the National Ozone Unit of the Ministry of Environment.

Speaking of the economic downturn, Amaraweera said every government sinc 1948 had been responsible for this situation. In fact, the real economic collapse of our country took place only after 1977. It was only after 1977 that the productive economic system of our country was ruined,” he added.

“When Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike took over the country in 1970, the dollar cost only nine rupees. When she handed over the country in 1977 the value of rupee was so high, the dollar was reduced to seven rupees. But by 1985 the value of the dollar roe to 116 rupees.

“Every government since 1977 has run the economy on foreign borrowings. Today, we have to face the result of the deactivation of the National Production Programme introduced by Former PM Mrs. Bandaranaike.

Now we are in a position to pay off debts and obtain loans. Although no foreign loans were taken during the tenure of the current President, every government that came to power after 1977 borrowed heavily from foreign sources,” he noted.