UNP drops neo-liberalism-Harsha

 By Yohan Perera
A future United National Party (UNP) government would discard its economic policy based on neo-liberalism and instead go in for a pre-1978 type social market structure, said Dr. Harsha de Silva.

Addressing a forum organised by the Young Professionals Organisation (YPO) last evening, Dr de Silva said a future UNP government would establish an economy based on a social market structure. “We will not place the means of production completely in the hands of the state or of henchmen but in the hands of the people,” he said. He said so in response to a question raised at the forum on the plans which the UNP had to offer in the event of a regime change. UNP MP Eran Wickremeratne who also responded to the same question said a future UNP government would focus on soft infrastructure facilities which give solutions to the real issues faced by the people. Citing an example, he said a UNP government would focus on developing public transport rather than spending huge amounts of funds on roads. “We have a plan to develop the public transport system which connects the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara Districts where Dr. Harsha and I could use public transport and get down at a station in the vicinity of the Parliamentary complex,” he said.
He said a UNP government would bring to book all those who are responsible for corruption. “If we could make a start on this, some of the present members of Parliament would be behind bars in 20 years time, given the judicial system of this country,’ he added.