Will stabilise the dollar; ensure continuous gas, fuel supply: AKD

Colombo, September 16 (Daily Mirror)- Claiming that independent Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe was striking fear among the people by threatening of the re-emergence of gas, fuel and electricity crisis if he is not elected, NPP Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today that an NPP government will ensure the continuous supply of gas, fuel and electricity while stabilising the US dollar in relation to the Sri Lankan rupee.

Speaking at a rally in Akuressa, Dissanayake said the NPP has plans to increase the dollar reserve while protecting it by stopping unwanted imports.

“A country without gas, fuel and electricity was created by them. Ranil now says there will be a shortage of gas and fuel if he is not re-elected and the US dollar will appreciate against the Sri Lankan rupee. The NPP government will take on the challenge of supplying fuel, electricity and gas. Ranil has been in Parliament for 47 years, Mahinda Rajapaksa for 54 years and Dinesh Gunawardane for 41 years. You all will have to go now. The NPP will take on the responsibility of developing the country,” he said.

Dissanayake said governments so far have had no plans to develop the dollar earning sources and protect the dollar reserves.

“We will assure you that the country will receive record foreign remittances under an NPP government. We have received the highest remittances of USD 6.2 billion so far. We will ensure that it will increase to USD 8 to 9 billion a year,” he said.

He said dollar earning sources such as the tourism sector, the gem and tea industries will be developed under an NPP government.

“We will develop the tourism sector to increase USD 8 billion by attracting tourists to the highest arrivals of 2.3 million to 4 million a year. We will increase our IT economy from USD 1.2 billion to 5 billion a year. We will also develop the tea industry by promoting export of end-products rather than bulk tea,” he said and added that “Our dollar reserves depleted because we used our dollars to import things such as kankun, eggs, cement, sugar etc. We will not use dollar reserves to import things we can produce here.”