11 October 2022 09:31 am Views - 164
By Yohan Perera
Accepting that there are issues that have arisen with regard to the National Council, President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said the council should come up with a national political and economic framework despite the prevailing situation.
Speaking during the opening of the new pharmaceutical factory of Yaden Laboratories Ltd, at Free trade Zone Katunayake, the President said the opposition parties should play an active role in formulating a national framework for Sri Lanka.
“This project was approved by the Yahapalana government after the then Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratne proposed that Sri Lanka should focus on manufacturing pharmaceutical products locally. However the Yahapalana government was defeated later. The new government led by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa allowed the project to go ahead. This new factory would not have come up had the Yahapalana government not approved this and the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration allowed it to go ahead. This shows that something positive could be achieved if all parties come together,” the President said.
“There are issues pertaining to the National Council but I appeal to all parties in the National Council to come up with a policy framework which does not change with the change of governments. I make this appeal to parties as representatives of a number of political parties are here participating in this event,” he said.
He said the country needs both an economic and political framework to move forward. “The economy won’t flourish without a sound political framework. Therefore we need both,” he added.
Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella said the new factory could be the beginning of Sri Lanks’s journey to become self-sufficient in pharmaceutical products. “This factory, when fully functional, will save $ 25 million spent annually for importation of medicines out of a total of $ 100 million. We hope that Sri Lanka would become self-sufficient in medicines such as India and Bangladesh,” the Minister said.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena, SJB MPs Eran Wickramaratne, J. C Alawathuwala, Dr Rajitha Senaratne, Harshana Rajakaruna and SLPP MPs Nimal Lanza and Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle were present at the event.