In a speech, outlining the government’s economic policy, delivered at the parliament, Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka had to join hands with the external world to strengthen its international connectivity and reclaim its position as a global trading hub.
“We were a trading nation since the era of ancient. Sri Lanka was the hub for transferring goods and knowledge from East to West, and West to East. We should learn from the history on exports and private sector growth which are key elements for becoming a higher middle-income economy,” Wickremesinghe said.
In order to give the economy a boost, the prime minister said the government was in discussions to enter into free trade agreements with partner countries around the world.
The government will also implement a national programme covering the entire island to alleviate poverty that has become a threat to country’s economy especially to the rural economy.
The national programme will be implemented through the Gramashakthi People’s Movement, to provide sustainable solutions for the
poverty faced by the country.
The national ceremony of launching of the Gramashakthi People’s Movement was held on October 20 in
Colombo.
The programme, a brainchild of President Maithripala Sirisena, is the flagship development programme launched in line with the vision of the president for a Sustainable Sri Lanka with a robust economy free of all forms of poverty by the year 2030.
The programme will be implemented island-wide while giving priority for the districts where the population of low-income families is high. Initially 1,000 villages will be covered and by the year 2020 it will be expanded to 5,000 villages.
The year 2017 was declared as the Year of Poverty Eradication in order to empower the majority of the economically and socially disadvantaged people and to make a reality of true freedom and equality of Sri Lankan citizens.
Under the first phase, at least two villages each will be selected from all 332 secretariat divisions of the country. Besides, 300 villages, which have potential for entrepreneurship, will also be selected to represent the 1,000 villages of the first phase.
The objective of Grama Shakthi project is to create a fair society which provides similar opportunities for every community, following its community ruled rural
development access.
