Colombo: Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has requested the global lenders to temporarily halt debt recovery in order to safeguard the economic conditions of the COVID-19 affected communities.

During a meeting with members of the United Nations and UNICEF at Temple Trees yesterday (June 27) Prime Minister Rajapaksa requested the international lenders to grant debt relief to developing countries.

The Prime Minister held discussions with the representatives of the UN agencies on strengthening the social security system in Sri Lanka to minimize the impact of the economic recession on the most vulnerable in the society, children, the elderly, and people with special needs.

The Prime Minister said that the Government of Sri Lanka has always prioritized the rights and needs of the child and explained the need for a social security strategy for the poor.

The Prime Minister also emphasized that by providing debt relief to developing countries, the economy of those countries can be restored.

He had pointed out that lenders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund must prioritize the possibility of offering debt relief.

Representatives of the United Nations and UNICEF focused on the importance of providing debt relief to countries seeking to recover from the COVID-19 epidemic and commended the Sri Lankan Government's actions to control the COVID-19 epidemic in the country.

 
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_20B/Jun28_1593328106CH.php