Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe Thanks India for Support at KPMG Meet in Colombo
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his gratitude to India for helping the country during its two difficult years. Speaking at the 31st All India Partners’ Meet 2024 in Colombo, he said, “Having now survived two difficult years, I must acknowledge that this was possible because India gave us a loan of $3.5 billion.”
Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong partnership with India to achieve Sri Lanka’s development goals. He discussed the need to accelerate joint programs with Indian Prime Minister Modi, particularly in the fields of energy and economic transformation.
The President announced plans to introduce policies aimed at creating a highly competitive, digital, green, and export-oriented economy. These policies will set benchmarks for foreign investments and aim to enhance export earnings while reducing multi-dimensional poverty.
Wickremesinghe also highlighted the establishment of new institutions like the International Trade Office and the National Productivity Commission to boost global trade and productivity. He assured that stable policies would be maintained through the Economic Transformation Bill, currently under scrutiny in Parliament and the courts.
The 31st All India Partners’ Meet, hosted by KPMG in India, took place in Colombo from June 20-22, with about 600 Indian partners attending. The firm supports investments and ease of doing business with India and several State Governments, and is involved in various flagship projects across multiple sectors.
