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AKD pledges a new beginning with a clean slate
Sri Lanka’s import-export gap amounts to US$ 10.4 billion. Consequently, the economy has to be restructured with new economic policies, said National Peoples’ Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake, when he unveiled his election manifesto, titled “Dawn of Hope”, at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo, yesterday (26).
Pic by Indika Handuwala
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Dissanayake said the Rule of Law should apply to all Sri Lankans, irrespective of their social status.
“One of our main tasks is to clean up the corrupt political field by introducing new Laws. Fraud and corruption should also be prevented,” he emphasised.
He pledged to abolish vehicle permits and post-retirement pension benefits for Parliamentarians, and to cut down the expenditure of the President, citing them as a waste of public money.
Mr Dissanayake also said he would convert the various residences allocated to the President, into tourist hotels and libraries.
“While others’ manifestos, primarily, become just another document, we will take steps to enact all the policies under our government,” he insisted.
“Society is the basic unit of a nation, and when there is unity, there is no room for extremist activities. As a multi-ethnic country, the people’s freedom to follow a religion of their choice would be ensured, Mr Dissanayake said, adding that, he would also create an environment where people could use their mother language in State institutions.
Mr Dissanayake also elaborated on the effects of debt on the country. “The country’s debt burden is more than Rs. 11 trillion. This is more than the national income. Countries borrow money for construction projects or for technical purposes. I will make sure to minimise obtaining loans, in order to improve the lives of citizens.”
He further said that, his Government would identify goods which can be manufactured locally and minimise imports of such products, in order to cut down on government expenditure.
“I believe the problem is not with resources, but resource management. The resources are there, but they are not fully exploited.”
Mr Dissanayake added that he will limit the number of Cabinet ministers to 30. “While there will be 30 deputy ministers, the posts of State and non-Cabinet ministers will be eliminated,” he assured.
A Government under him will develop the IT sector to generate more employment for the youth, Mr Dissanayake said, adding that, he will make use of their knowledge to benefit the country.
“Environmental protection was also paramount to create a prosperous country,” he pointed out. “To achieve this, the country needed a land utilisation plan and a separate focus for wildlife conservation,” he further noted.
He also promised to uplift education, with special focus on popularising sport among children, to maintain a healthy lifestyle.