The United National Party (UNP) has accused the National People’s Power (NPP) government of failing to pursue the economic recovery and growth framework introduced by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2022.
In a statement, UNP Working Committee member Dinouk Colombage said while the NPP initially continued Wickremesinghe’s stabilization plan, it had neglected the growth component that was central to the strategy.
“The rupee was meant to appreciate and inflation kept below 3%. Instead, the currency continues to depreciate and inflation has climbed above 6%,” he noted.
Colombage argued that the IMF programme has become a “standalone plan” focused solely on stabilization, with no parallel growth measures introduced.
He questioned how Sri Lanka could prepare to repay debt while simultaneously reducing poverty and raising public income levels without a comprehensive growth agenda.
“The government must answer how it intends to balance debt repayment with improving living standards. Without a growth plan, stabilization alone cannot deliver recovery,” Colombage stressed. (Newswire)
