Expressway debts could take over 160 years to settle

10 April 2024 08:29 am

• To prevent financial collapse, the minister stressed the importance of following protocols set by the World Bank, IMF and Asian Development Bank

Despite earning a yearly profit of Rs. 5 billion from expressways, Minister Bandula Gunawardana revealed that it might take at least 160 years to fully pay off the Rs. 800 billion loan used to build them.

Gunawardana explained that even if someone lived for 80 years, it would still be impossible to settle the debt. He emphasized that even if someone reincarnated multiple times and worked throughout each lifetime, the debt would persist.  
To prevent financial collapse, Gunawardana stressed the importance of following protocols set by the World Bank (WB), IMF, and Asian Development Bank (ADB). He warned that failure to comply could lead to ruin.  
To tackle the debt, the minister proposed transferring the expressway system and its assets to the government-owned Sahasya Investment Company.   
This, he believes, is necessary to prevent innocent individuals from bearing the burden for the rest of their lives.