Sajith urges govt. to attract investments diverting from China

COLOMBO (News1st) : Former opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has urged the government to attract investments that are diverting from China amidst the coronavirus. "The Indonesian government has set up a mechanism to attract US investors and other businesses deviating from China," Premadasa said in a video posted on social media. China had lent Sri Lanka a 500 million US dollar loan in April to assist the efforts of the South Asian island nation in combating the virus. Recently, the cabinet of ministers had approved a proposal to obtain a loan of 80 million from the China Development Bank to improve roads spanning 105 kilometres. Meanwhile, the former opposition leader also called on the government to 128.6 million US dollar loan offered by the World Bank to strengthen the country's health sector. "We need more ICU beds and we must provide our medical staff with sufficient protective equipment," Premadasa, who leads the Samagi Jana Balawegaya noted.