26 July 2023 09:28 am Views - 137
By Yohan Perera
The Indo Sri Lanka Land link will be economically beneficial to Sri Lanka to have cheaper and quicker access to the world’s fifth-largest economy, Leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) ally Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) said yesterday.
“We must agree to such with a condition that Sri Lanka shall obtain “most favoured nation” treatment by-passing all current trade agreements with India. TPA Leader Member of Parliament Mano Ganesan said.
“Sri Lankan produces for the Indian market shall obtain “tax free status” similar to that of GSP+,” he added.
“India is booming. We must use our geographical location, the very close proximity to India, to get the best out of it. Our manufacturers should be able to reach the most sought-after powered middle-class consumer market, especially in southern, India. I have discussed such proposals with President Wickremesinghe when he was our Prime Minister in the previous government. Later now with Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa and Indian High Commissioner Bagley. Only those “frog in the well’ phobia jokers will oppose such, creating stories of bogus “dangers”. We are an island, but there are hundreds of countries with common borders some are even land locked, like Afghanistan and Nepal,” he also said.
“Use of Indian Rupee is a secondary matter. We already use foreign currencies unofficially and officially too,” Ganesan further stressed.