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Rise in exports in 2021 a huge lie: Dr. Harsha 

31 Jan 2022

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday (30) stated that the statement made by the Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardana that Sri Lanka’s exports had risen by 23% in 2021 compared to 2020 was a “huge lie” and that the Minister “should have known better”. He further stated: “The Export Development Board had targeted around $ 24 billion in export revenue for 2021 and they achieved only a mere a $ 15 billion. Yet they are celebrating this like it’s a huge achievement.” Dr. de Silva stated that while positive news must be shared with the public, such news must also be accurate. “For example, in 2017, revenue generated from service and merchandise exports was $ 15.2 billion and this time it's $ 15.1 billion. How is $ 15.2 billion less than $ 15.1 billion? When reporting these things, they need to think whether this is true or not and not just rely on the fact that someone has said it.” Explaining further he stated that in 1995, both Vietnam and Sri Lanka had recorded merchandise exports of around $ 3.5 billion. However, in 2021, our merchandise exports were $ 12 billion while Vietnam had exported $ 336 billion in merchandise goods. According to him, Sri Lanka cannot be rescued from its current foreign debt crisis by the Government’s inward-looking policies involving import substitution, tariff barriers, or by isolating Sri Lanka from the world. “There is only one way this can be achieved, we should incorporate Sri Lanka globally. I have continuously repeated that what we should implement is not tariff barriers, instead, we should build bridges linking Sri Lanka to the region and the world. In the world today, goods are manufactured in global production networks. If Sri Lanka is to be a part of such global product networks our existing severe economic restrictions must be relaxed. This country cannot be rescued if instead of doing this, we lie to the public and use certain media to spread such lies,” stated Dr. de Silva. He further stated that they cannot continue to rule the country on lies when their management of the economy has failed so abysmally. “The time of ruling through lies is over. We are currently facing shortages of cement, gas, milk powder, wheat flour, fuel, electricity, coal, and medicine,” he added. Commenting on the recent announcement by the Government that a kg of paddy will be purchased at Rs. 75 from farmers, Dr. de Silva stated that farmers have to spend around Rs. 100 per kg of paddy and that they will require at least a minimum of Rs. 120 for a kg of paddy.


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