Lanka to redouble efforts for better tommorrow

Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Palitha Kohona said that Sri Lanka is determined to redouble its efforts to secure a better future for the people.

He said despite the distractions of conflict, Sri Lanka has achieved or is well on the way to achieving the Millennium Development Goals agreed by the United Nations in 2000. Our infant mortality rate, the maternal mortality rate and the literacy rate are the envy of many other developing countries. " Happily the threat of terrorism that hung like a dark cloudover the country was resoundingly defeated by a determined nation led by a committed government with President Mahinda Rajapaksa at its helm. For the past 18 months we have not experienced a single bomb explosion or a single bullet fired in anger", he told a ceremony to mark the 63rd Independence day celebrations.

Dr. Kohona said the government planned to double the per capita income by 2016 and initiatives were afoot to create a knowledge based economy with computer literacy exceeding 50 percent in the next four years.

He said with the expansion of the Colombo harbour and the commissioning of the Ruhunu Magampura harbour in the south, Sri Lanka was well placed to resuming its historic role as the trading hub of South Asia - a history of trading that spans 2000 years was about to re-establish itself.

" We are particularly proud of this achievement. Absolute poverty in Sri Lanka stands at less than eight percent.

Today the economy of the country is rebounding after remaining dormant for years. The economic growth rate is expected to exceed eight percent this year while inward tourism will reach a record level.

Foreign inward investments are also reaching impressive levels while unemployment and inflation remain manageably low at over five percent. While many a challenge remains, the government will ensure development within a caring policy framework", Dr. Kohona said.