Change of attitude needed to be productive

Sri Lanka has permanent peace and it was not achieved through agreements but by defeating the LTTE, said Secretary' of the Ministry of Finance Dr. P.B. Jayasundera. Peace will create growth in all sectors.

Hotels have to begin to price right and also refurbish the properties to face the growth. The Government has ambitiously targeted 2.5 million tourist arrivals and to meet the demand the country needs more rooms.

The current capacity is 12,000 while the expected capacity is 45,000. To meet this demand there is a need for raw materials, labour and finances. Imagine the growth it will create, said Dr Jayasundera addressing a meeting organized by the National Chamber of Exporters(NCE).

He said now the time is right to move to a productive drive as well as a change in attitudes.

Leave politics behind as you will not get an opportunity to change the Government. On April 8 Sri Lanka will see political stability which was never seen by our generations.

This will help pave the way for growth. He was of the view that chambers must be more business oriented. Dr. Jayasundera said, Don't waste time get to work immediately and stop talking negatives.

He said the country is ready for a take off from a US$ 2000 per capita income to a US$ 5000 per capita income.

He said that over a period of five years the per capita income has doubled while fighting a war therefore he questioned as to why we can't double it in the next five and leap forward.

The Government moves forward regardless of what people say as our strategies are clear. Ports, airports, roads are being built while water is being diverted for two irrigation projects. Dr Jayasundera was confident that in the next 8-9 months the road infrastructure would be in place which will help stimulate growth.

He agreed that some of the lands are with JEDB, Land Reform Commission and the State Plantation Corporation. But how many acres of land are in the hands of the private sector, are these lands being used productively.

Therefore, try to increase productivity before asking for more lands.

He said other countries do not give electricity free of charge to industrialists while they also impose power cuts. But in our country for the last five years we have not experienced power cuts but we have to pay a price for it. Dr Jayasundera said that the cost also will come down once 300 mega watts are added to the grid by August.