SL children unite in art to celebrate 35 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – The Island

By Saman Indrajith

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday the government hoped to sign a new staff agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by November 23. Delivering the new government’s policy statement at the start of the 10th session of Parliament, the President said: “We inherited a country that was already bound by an agreement with the IMF when we took office. Exiting this agreement is not an option if we want to move forward.”

The president said that due to the recent elections, there was a delay in the third review, originally scheduled for September.

The president said that the IMF resumed talks with the government shortly after the November 14 general election. “We are currently holding detailed discussions and hope to be able to finalize the agreement at staff level this week. “The signing of the new agreement will represent a decisive step in the further development of the IMF program,” he added.

The President said that the signing of the staff agreement with the IMF was a crucial step towards building a stable and reliable economic future for Sri Lanka, stating: “The current economic climate leaves no room for error. By moving forward decisively, we can restore public and international confidence in our economy.”

The President addressed the challenges of debt restructuring and explained that much of the preparatory work had already been completed before his government took office. “Bilateral debt restructuring agreements were concluded and discussions on government bonds concluded just days before the presidential election. Debating whether these agreements are good or bad is pointless at this point. When we took power, debt restructuring was in its final stages and resuming talks would slow economic progress for a long time. Separate agreements with creditor nations will follow soon, while the sovereign bond agreement is expected to be completed in December.”

President Dissanayake stressed the importance of public accountability and stressed that Parliament is no longer a hidden institution to the public. “Parliament is no longer a hidden cave. Daily procedures are subject to public scrutiny. As representatives of the people, everything we do – how we speak, how we behave – is under their watchful supervision. The public’s duty does not end with electing us; You have the right to audit us until the next mandate. I believe that this Parliament is capable of withstanding such scrutiny.”

President Dissanayake highlighted the critical role of the public sector, emphasizing the historic mandate given to his government by the public sector and the need to transform the public service into an efficient and people-oriented institution.

“The mandate we have received is the highest ever received by civil servants. However, today neither the public nor public officials are satisfied with the state of the public service. Our responsibility is to create a public service that satisfies both those who work in the industry and the people they serve,” he said.

The President added: “The mandate of civil servants reflects their partisanship in our policies to create an affordable public service. Without a strong public service we cannot move forward. Public sector activity is also important for political authority.”

Dissanayake also reiterated his commitment to creating an efficient and impartial public sector that works for the benefit of the people, stressing that “effective public service is equally crucial to political authority and public trust.”

“No one should be left behind because of their religion, culture, language or political ideology. Freedom belongs to everyone. It is our collective responsibility to create a democratic and free nation where people can live without fear or doubt.

“A cornerstone of these efforts is upholding the rule of law. This cannot be achieved by passing laws in Parliament alone; Laws must be implemented effectively. The public must feel that justice is being served. In recent years, public trust in the legal system has been severely weakened.”

“The government and the presidency are not above the law. Authority figures remain responsible. No one in authority is above the law. We are not here to seek revenge, but to ensure that everyone has the right to freely participate in politics.”

The President assured that justice will be served to victims of all high-profile and controversial crimes and those found guilty will be punished. He stressed: “This is essential to restoring public trust in the legal system.”

“We must create a government where the laws are fair and justice prevails. If we fail to gain a foothold with such a mandate, it would mean that we will never succeed. Without justice and fairness in fighting corruption and crime, this country’s dreams will fail.”

President Dissanayake said there would no longer be room for racial politics or religious extremism in the country. He said that all the people who voted for the NPP and those who did not vote for it were citizens of the country and meeting the needs and expectations of all these citizens was the responsibility of the government. “That is why our government and I are committed and committed to meeting the needs of the people,” he said.

“We can have different political views and opinions. But I will tell you one thing responsibly; Racial politics will not be allowed in the country again. At the same time, religious extremism must not appear. We are a people affected by more than enough racial tensions. It is the responsibility of all of us who represent this Parliament to ensure that such a nation is not created for future generations,” he said.

“We can have any slogans to engage politically, be it economic or democratic slogans. However, I assure you that in the future no one will be allowed to use racist and extremist slogans to regain power in the country.”

Parliament will meet again on December 3rd at 9:30 a.m.