'Development programs will be accelerated - President

By Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Asia’s largest digitally synchronised forum for professionals titled ‘Momentum’ was held simultaneously at four locations in Colombo last week.

Billed as the first digitally synchronised forum in Sri Lanka, the event underscored the importance of stability to Sri Lanka’s business and economic landscape.

“My vision for Sri Lanka includes elimination of poverty and corruption that hinders the progress of the nation.

We will not only continue with the major development programs we have initiated, but accelerate those initiatives to produce results,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa told professionals and private sector representatives at the Momentum Biz Forum recently.

"My vision and action in the second term was to restore economic stability, ensure growth of the economy, expand investment opportunities and thereby ensure social growth throughout the country," he said.

"A major aspect of this is the long-term infrastructure development that you see in all parts of the country, embracing the entire nation, from the East to the West, the North to the South and in the Centre.

This covers the urban and rural sectors and seeks the transformation of the country.

"You benefit today from what can only be described as a revolutionary change in our transport network of roads, highways and expressways. There is also accompanying improvement in the rail network.

This fosters connectivity by making travel times shorter and helps in the speedy transport of goods and produce.

"We have also transformed the urban environment to create a clean, green, people-friendly and healthy cities and urban locations that give a higher quality of life to people and which also provides a physically friendly environment for investment.

"By improving the quality of life we can also retain more highly skilled professionals and knowledge workers.

"All of this combined with our positive economic policies with conducive macro-economic factors and the concessions for critical private investments, local and from abroad have seen the steady growth of the GDP leading Sri Lanka to achieve and exceed a per capita income of US $ 4,000 by next year.

"It is necessary to ask ourselves, What of the future? I am very clear on this. Our future vision is to focus on making the maximum use of the good work done so far, the peace we have achieved, the stability we have restored, the democracy we have ensured, the infrastructure development we have brought about, all continuing to ensure a macro-economic environment, so vital for further growth.

"We must further improve the urban landscape and empower the villages to further improve the quality of life of our people.

"Let us achieve this future together and march ahead, with this goal of success for today and the generations ahead," he said.