SL will be an economic hub in the Indian Ocean: PM

Sri Lanka will be turned into an economic and a monetary centre in the Indian Ocean where the ordinary citizens in the island will be able to engage in transaction in the monetary markets, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday.

“Sri Lanka will be turned into an economic and monetary hub in the Indian Ocean where ordinary people could invest in the monetary market,” the Prime Minister told a Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebration in Suduwella, Maradana over the weekend.

“Colombo will be the key centre in our economic development programme and it will be developed together with the Western Province. Sri Lanka will be turned into an economic and monetary hub in the Indian Ocean where ordinary people could invest in the monetary market,” the Prime Minister added.

Also he said the value of lands in Colombo will increase in the future when the government’s economic programme gets under way and goes on

We will improve the value of lands in Colombo and we will facilitate all the people to earn an income.

“ Let me give you one advise. Do not sell your lands in a hurry. You will be able to fetch a much better price for your lands in a year or two. If you own lands keep them. When the county develops further many will demand your lands at a good price,” he said.

He said the Sinhala Tamil New Year in 2016 has been celebrated on a high note. “Everyone seemed to have cash in their hands. Many went shopping and consumed goods to their satisfactory. This means the economy had developed to some extent. Our effort is to further expand this development, he added

“ When I see the new year gifts that are in line for distribution today one can see that the economy had developed to some extent. This reminded me in 1977 when giving a bicycle as a first prize in a New Year celebration like this one was a great thing. Only I was able to gift a bicycle at a New Year Celebration then. Later Cyril Mathew distributed some bicycles at a new year celebration when he was the Minister of Industries. Things have changed today as a vast development had taken place since then, he also said. (YP)