[Sri Lanka] - President vows to allocate Rs. 30-40 Bn to purchase medications in 2023

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured that steps would be to purchase medicines required for the year 2023, regardless of the difficult
economic conditions Sri Lanka is facing at the moment.Accordingly, an allocation of a minimum of Rs
30-40 billion would be produced this purpose, the Head of State discussed while dealing with the parliament previously today.In response to
the allegations levelled at the federal government for not making enough allocations for the procurement of medicines, the President
mentioned that the Treasury and the Health Ministry are collectively working to make sure that sufficient stocks of medications are
procured.However, placing orders would take some time, the President stated further, adding that it is not the objective of the government
to let people suffer from scarcities of medicines.Speaking on resolving the economic crisis, President Wickremesinghe reiterated that the
federal government is taking needed efforts to put the nation back on the best path.With regard to the continuous talks with Sri Lankas
bilateral creditors, President Wickremesinghe said what is left to do now is to get the assistance of India and China to restructure the
countrys debts
According to him, the discussions with these two bilateral financial institutions have thus far achieved success
Meanwhile, speaking on the general public sector incomes, the President said the workers can feel confident that salaries would absolutely
be paid, although not on time
The government is likewise accentuating the payments of pensions and allowances to Samurdhi beneficiaries, he assured.Responding to the
concerns raised with regard to the monetary allocations made by the federal government for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations,
President Wickremesinghe noted that this is a financial investment for the future
The Independence Day celebrations are not limited to the parades, he added, stressing that in the 25 years leading up to the 100th
anniversary of the Independence Day, many brand-new institutions and laws would be presented for Sri Lankas much-needed reforms.