There is a man-made economic crisis in Sri Lanka, says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lanka is currently going through the worst economic crisis since gaining their independence in 1948 and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believes that it is the fault of the previous governments and the politicians.

In an exclusive interview with India media network WION’s Managing Editor Palki Sharma, Wickremesinghe called it a “man-made economic crisis” and pointed out that the politicians in the country need to come together and change in order to rectify the current situation.

“There is a man-made economic crisis. The politicians they say and certainly the governments that were in power earlier. I think most in the government carried on. Not only the previous government, but the politicians are also responsible. Yes, in a way we have to admit we all have the responsibility for the downfall of the system, and we should change now. That is the challenge to all our members of parliament, whether you are willing to change or not. Some are, others are not. So, the politics of Sri Lanka will be decided by those who are willing to change and come anew and those who are not,” Wickremesinghe said.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister also provided a sneak peek into their plans for restructuring of the economy. He explained that Sri Lanka is open to loans from both donors as well as private investors and they will also be discussing the situation with India and China.

“We have to take restructuring loans both from the donors as well as the private investors. In case of the donors, we have to ensure, all of them agree to the restructuring program. Because only Japan is in the Paris club. China and India are out of the Paris Club. We got to an agreement. Matter has been taken up. I have not discussed it yet but will be discussing it with China. There has been no response so far. Because the Ambassador to Beijing is also discussing it with the government there,” he explained.