Sri Lanka has now been turned into “a land of auction”, Sajith Premadasa, the opposition leader of the island nation, alleged that the ruling party is selling national resources to foreigners and destroying the country’s heritage. 

The allegation came in the backdrop of the recently passed controversial bill which they claimed would allow Chinese investors to buy land and other sites in Sri Lanka. 

Sajith also claimed to have come across a government plan to hand over several historically important government buildings in Colombo and Fort, built during the British era, to private investors under the guise of so-called development.  

He further said, “the country’s economy and ecosystem both are in danger,” referring to the recent incident of ship fire off Colombo coast that caused immense damage to the marine environment. He also cornered the government for the mismanagement of the Covid crisis. 

“There are shortcomings in hospitals and there are also reports of irregularities in the vaccination process,” he said. He also pointed out the shortage of drugs for non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
 
A total of 70 percent of the country’s workforce are in informal sectors and these people are utterly helpless due to restrictions, he claimed. 

The country’s main earning sectors--tourism and apparel industries-- are all in shambles, Sajith alleged. “The market for exports has lost ground in the US and Europe, and all those who have made a living from it are under severe pressure,” he alleged. 

(SAM)