Appreciation of rupee is artificial: Handunnetti

By Ajith Siriwardana   

The appreciation of the rupee against the US Dollar was an artificial situation that has been created with a political agenda, former JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said yesterday.  

He told a news conference the myth that the rupee has appreciated thereby strengthening the economy was spread with a political motive.  

“The myth that the rupee has appreciated is being spread so as to decide whether to hold the election or not, manage possible people’s uproar in the future and to hoodwink the people,” he said.   He said the Central Bank was not independent at present in decision making and said it was not taking decisions thinking about the whole economy but to fulfil the agenda of the government.  

Handunnetti said there was a move to create a myth that the Dollar crisis was being addressed and the country would be developed now and there was no need to change the government.