COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Economic Research Unit of the Joint Opposition expressed their views on the proposed State Land (Special Provisions) Bill at a media briefing held in Colombo yesterday(July 09).

UPFA MP, Bandula Gunawardane noted that the sole intention of this proposed bill is to loosen the land market and to create a popular auction for lands in the country. He added that people who are heavily burdened with land loans and housing loans will eventually sell off their lands when foreigners and other NGOs offer a hefty amount of cash for their lands. He went on to note that the US will benefit from this opportunity to establish the economic corridor expected from the SOFA agreement.

He finally added that Maithripala Sirisena, the Executive President of Sri Lanka has presented his Cabinet papers on the Land Special Bill and according to the constitution the president has the absolute power over changing land ownership and with a signal signature he has the capacity to nullify the Gazette.

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