2028 must not be a repeat of 2022 crisis, says Sajith Premadasa

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated that in order to avoid a recurrence of the 2022 economic crisis in 2028, Sri Lanka must maintain rapid economic growth and export-led development.

Speaking during an interview with an Indian news service while on his official visit to India, the Opposition Leader said that the government appears not to be achieving the necessary targets.

On the 13th Amendment to the Constitution:

"Our stance has always been that we will implement the 13th Amendment. It covers all nine provinces of our country. There is no need to speculate about our position. Our position on the implementation of the 13th Amendment is very clear."

On the United Opposition Protest:

Regarding the planned joint opposition protest at the end of this month that his party will not participate in, Premadasa stated: "As an active opposition, we stand for the people. We affirm the rights and human rights of the people in the broader sense. The public do not agree with ordinary politics. Therefore, the people's desire is for national policies to be formulated so that the needs of the people can be met, rather than focusing on the political hierarchy. We proceed according to our own political strategy to achieve those goals."

On Government Promises and 2028 Debt Repayments:

In response to a question about whether the government has been able to fulfil its main election promises and whether he expects them to be able to pay back international creditors by 2028, the Opposition Leader said:

"I can clearly say there is a discrepancy between the statements made and the actions taking place. 2028 is critical for us. By then, we will have to meet our massive foreign debt obligations. To do that, we must have rapid economic growth, better foreign exchange reserves, export-led growth, and a large improvement in export-based income. We must ensure our foreign remittances remain at a very high level. Most importantly, we must have large-scale foreign direct investments. In all these sectors, we appear not to be achieving the necessary targets. We are moving very slowly. 2028 must not be a repetition of 2022. Therefore, we all, as a country, must unite to ensure such a social breakdown does not happen again. But it is very challenging. It is a journey full of obstacles. We must have a truthful development policy with a firm and correct approach."

On Donald Trump's Tariffs:

When asked about the impact of Donald Trump's tariffs on Sri Lanka and if he is worried about them, he responded:

"Our problem is that our trade is not diversified. Therefore, as a country, we must promote a policy of diversifying export markets. We must work constructively and productively with the US administration to bring those tariff rates down to a level below 20%."