Country should come together to carry out quarantine activities: Sajith

By Yohan Perera   

The entire country should come together and support all transparent quarantine activities, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa said yesterday. 

“This is a time when the entire nation should come forward together,” he said.   
“No one should get frightened but should do their part to see the nation through from this crisis,” he added.   
At the same time, Mr Premadasa said the nation should use this crisis as an opportunity to see that the county would be in a better position than it was before the COVID-19 hit the nation.   
Mr Premadasa had also signed the nomination papers yesterday, sources said.   

Meanwhile, former MP Harsha de Silva said interest rate cuts, which were announced by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday would become effective only if the Monetary Board took the decision.   

“The law is that the Monetary Board has to decide while the government will have to make the extra payment of interest to bridge the gap. A bank will not be able to bring down the interest rates to four percent instantly and from 15 percent and therefore the government will have to pay the remaining 11percent to make it work,” he said citing an example.   

He also questioned as to how one could ask foreign banks to cut the rates.  Further Dr de Silva said the government would have to pay a subsidy to the traders and suppliers if it wanted to bring down the prices of canned fish and dhal.