Patali questions massive money printing in 2020

COLOMBO (News1st): An opposition lawmaker, on Wednesday, questioned the government the reason behind printing Rs 650.4 billion in 2020. "In 2019, only Rs 4 billion had been printed, "Patali Champika Ranawaka, a Samagi Jana Balawegaya parliamentarian queried during a parliamentary session. But the government did not respond to the question citing that it had exceeded the permitted amount. "Do not try to evade these questions when they are of national importance," Lakshman Kiriella, the Chief Opposition Whip argued in Parliament. Earlier in the session, Champika called on the government to reveal true economic factors. "The central bank has said that the economic growth in 2020 stood at negative 3.9 percent although the rate during the first nine months stood at negative 5.3 percent," he pointed out. But state finance minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal argued that the economic growth recorded in the third quarter of 2020 was greater than the rate under the previous administration.