Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (L) arrives for the opening session of the parliament in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka on Feb. 8, 2023. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)
Sri Lanka is now moving from a negative economy towards a positive one, and by the end of 2023, Sri Lanka will be able to achieve economic growth, said Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
COLOMBO, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday expressed confidence that the country will recover from bankruptcy by 2026.
Informing the parliament about the future policies of the government, Wickremesinghe said that he will continue with a tax reforms program despite it being seen as unpopular by several groups.
"I'm ready to make unpopular decisions for the sake of the nation. People will realize the importance of those decisions in two to three years," he said.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (1st L) arrives for the opening session of the parliament in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka on Feb. 8, 2023. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)
Wickremesinghe said that despite difficulties, the government has taken measures to protect the vulnerable groups suffering due to the economic crisis.
"Those in absolute poverty are identified. A program is being prepared to finance them directly through a welfare bank account," he said.
The president also said the country is now moving from a negative economy towards a positive one, and by the end of 2023, Sri Lanka will be able to achieve economic growth.
He said that the international support that Sri Lanka is currently receiving demonstrates that the country is on the right path, appealing to all the parties in parliament to join the process to build the country. ■