Latest cover-up: Sri Lanka's Finance Secretary optimistic about 8% economic growth

Our President has done an economic miracle on par with India. If we can keep this 8% momentum, we will be able to be on par with Singapore in another 5-10 years time.

Guys.. go out and look around what is going on outside Sri Lanka. What this government has done over the last few months except for allocating billions to give subsidies, increase pension benefits, giving free meals to schools, recruiting thousands to government departments and buy back excess crop? Apart from above populist programs, government has not done anything to improve the economy (I mean a value addition). Do not try to confuse people with economic growth measured on the basis of GDP to economic development.
What we lack is economic and social development in sri lanka. Running behind economic growth is the latest cover-up similar to the “mahinda chinthanaya’.

Let me highlight some examples..
What infrastructure projects this government has initiated targeting long-term economic benefits? We do not have a single expressway in sri lanka although all previous and present governments have talked, promised and spent millions on feasibility studies and making plans. One famous example is the Southern Expressway. The money spent on making proposals, wasting time over this kind of 'sudu aliya' projects could be way above the entire tsunami re-building cost.
How can these people talk of a 8% growth when they take 10 years to make a simple overhead bridge across a road? Ex: Borella intersection.

Apart from expressway projects, the normal road network and the condition of roads can be compared to or worse than a 3rd world undeveloped country. I do not think it even comes closer to the standards of a developing country.
While saying so, we should not forget the fact that the most of the good roads we have today is due to the effort of our former president Mr. Premadasa or the British occupiers.

Still no government has initiated a project to link the road development projects integrate with telephone, water and drainage systems. This very visible problem is wasting billions every year, wasting time and creating traffic jams. Yet, no government wants to sort out this simple problem. All they know is to dig and now they talk of 'e-sri lanka' wasting time on designing home pages. ex: have a look at the parliament website.

Electricity is another major issue. Sometimes back, we had a electricity blackout time table to save the limited electricity. What actions we have taken to overcome this problem? Norochchole cole project is still a dream due to religious and political objections. Have we taken any more actions to sort this problem? NO. Instead have wasted millions on feasibility, environmental studies. All Bullshit...

Drinking water. When we were small, my parents never had to buy drinking water. Look at the situation now? How many water bottling plants operating in Sri Lanka? What does that mean? Our water supply system has gone backwards. Very soon, the government will start taxing water bottles when they realize the demand and teh amount of money people spending on drinking water.

Good work Dr. Go to sleep.. you must be tired of explaining this kind of bullshit..


Sri Lanka, 3 - 14 - 2006: Sri Lanka's Finance Secretary optimistic about 8% economic growth