GL says Govt. bankrupt

13 January 2016 04:04 pm

The move by the Finance Ministry to get hold of 1 billion USDs from a ‘mystery’ investor to defend Sri Lankan rupee was not acceptable in anyway and reflected the degree of desperation of the government as well as its bankruptcy, the Joint Opposition said today.

The expert on these matters for the Joint Opposition G.L. Peiris said the move was not only detrimental to the economy, but also would put the national security of the country at risk.

“The Ministry is withholding the identity of the investor and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake says that they are not concerned how the funds the investor is investing had been earned.

“These funds could be black money, drug money or funds collected by terrorists. External forces could invade our economic nerve centres by investing in them,” he told a news conference held at the Dr. N.M. Perera Centre in Borella.

He said the 500 USD million had been sent to the government by the investor already in December and the rest of the funds were to be received later this month.

He said one of the funds remitting bank is in Belgium and the other in Luxemburg.

He said the Finance Minister’s call that anyone can go to the courts if they have doubts with regard to the nature of funds was absurd.

“The government has no regulation over these funds. It is blatantly showing the world how bankrupt the government is. This move will only tarnish the image of the country,” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)

 
Video by Lahiru Pothmulla