SJB parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva today charged that the country and the central bank is bankrupt and urged the government to, at least now, put aside political differences and come together to save the country from this bankruptcy. 

Delivering a strong statement in Parliament, he said that regardless whether they are in the opposition or the government as Sri Lankans they are ashamed to say it out loud, but that there is no denying the fact the country is bankrupt.   

The former deputy minister said he was in the diesel queue for an hour and a half yesterday but still was not able to obtain any fuel. “There’s no diesel, no petrol, no milk, no gas, no medicine, and no electricity.”

He said that the people are fuming and that there is no minister to talk about these issues in parliament. 

“If this is not bankruptcy, then what is bankruptcy?”

He said that the central bank’s external debt is USD 2.5 billion more than the central bank’s foreign assets. “Then the Central Bank has gone bankrupt.”

“We do not want to say this. How can we open our mouths and say that the country is bankrupt. We are also proud. We are Sri Lankans whether we are in the opposition or in the government. We were born in this country, we live in this country, and we die in this country. We have no other passport,” he added. 

“As Sri Lankans, how can we open our mouths and say that the country is bankrupt. But who made the country bankrupt? At least now, let’s do something together to save this country from bankruptcy.”