COLOMBO (News 1st) – Another phase of the program to hand over Samurdhi to 600,000 individuals was held in Homagama yesterday(June 19) under the auspices of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Ministers Daya Gamage, Ravi Karunanayake, Dr, Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne, and other MPs representing the Colombo District were present at the event

Samurdhi was presented to 4500 beneficiaries from the Colombo district.

Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the beneficiaries present at the event and stated that it took 21 years to grant
Samurdhi beneficiaries to 600 000 individuals. He added that the opposition claims that no government is in power right now and their government was strong and efficient. He questioned if they were strong why couldn’t they present Samurdhi beneficiaries like the current government did.

Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Power, Energy and Business Development noted that the crisis in Sri Lanka will not be solved only by granting 11 522 beneficiaries and their true intention was to create job opportunities. He added that Sri Lanka is at a desperate stage as the interest rate for a loan is as high as 15-16% while other banks in the Asian region are at 6-7% rendering the entrepreneurs with inborn talent financially broken. He went on to add that if they were able to reduce the interest rate to 5% there would not be a need for Samurdhi beneficiaries.

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