New Finance Minister says big shoes to fill of predecessors in FM post

Newly appointed Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera   said he was humbled to take on a mantle of a portfolio which has been held by stalwarts in the country‘s political arena including Dr.  N.M.Perera, Felix Dias Bandaranaike, Ronnie De Mel  and J.R.Jayewardana.

 “I had reservations about accepting this portfolio. I wondered if the shoes I had to fill were too big given some of those who have held the post before me.  Many illustrious political leaders and statesmen of the past held this post. Among them were people in the caliber of Ronnie de Mel, NM Perera, JR Jayewardene and Felix Dias Bandaranaike,” the Minister said in his maiden speech as Finance Minister, the portfolio to which he was assigned on Monday.

Minister Samaraweera said that primary objective will be to transform the Treasury and put efficient and sound economic policies in place and be guided by the vision of the Prime Minister and President

Opening the debate on several  resolutions made under the Appropriation Act, the Minister said that when the present government took power, they inherited an economy in shambles but the former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake along with the Prime Minister worked together to  put Sri Lanka  on the right economic path.

“When I saw the recent Meethotamulla disaster, I thought that there was no difference between that garbage dump and the country we took over on Jan 08, 2015. On one side there is a heap of dead bodies of journalists, of children who were demanding drinking water.  The country was isolated by the international community. The UN had been forced by the rest of members of the international community to commence an investigation against us without asking for our consent. Then there was another mountain of loans amounting to over Rs 8,500 billion. There was no financial discipline and the Treasury had been empty,” he said.

The Minister said he has also always maintained that the private sector should be the engine of growth and their contribution would be needed to strengthen the economy.

(CK)