President Maithripala Sirisena says the country should import only essential goods and added that the government would implement a required plan of action after a research is carried out on all imported food and other goods.

The President made these remarks at the inauguration ceremony of Grama Shakthi People’s Movement, held yesterday at the BMICH.

The Grama Shakthi People’s Movement aims at saving the people from poverty. This is implemented as the main project to free the country from poverty in 2017. Accordingly, requirements of the people living in 15, 000 villages will be fulfilled by 2020.

Speaking further, the President said the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement is implemented by fulfilling the requirement of a comprehensive national program to increase local industries and local entrepreneurs and free the people from poverty.

He stated that all field officers at village level should join this program. He said he would strengthen this program together with local political leaders and government officers by visiting every district from next month.

The President further stated that as Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said, there should be wealthy people as they are strength to the economy. But the wealth of the prosperous people should also flow among the poor, the President pointed out. “I trust that the country should be governed not by rich people but by middle class people”, he said.

He emphasized that everybody should get together to fulfil the national responsibility to make poor people as wealthy people through Grama Shakthi People’s Movement

The aim of the “Gramashakthi People’s Movement” is to build an economically prosperous citizen who is able to fulfill the respective duties and have a clear understanding of rights.

It is planned to establish 5,000 People governed Gramaseva Divisions under the “Gramashakthi People’s Movement” by 2020.

Under this programme a funds will be provided to the Grama Shakthi unit calculated at Rs. 8,000 per each individual, in accordance with the total membership of the unit for a period of 4 years.

Uplifting livelihoods, state funding, providing financial aid to develop the business processes of the community and getting the assistance of the private sector to develop the rural entrepreneurship are among the benefits that will be received under this programme. Other benefits include providing development and research facilities to eradicate poverty in collaboration with the state and private sector, Development of the rural agricultural entrepreneurship based on the new technology and innovation ideologies.

Through this programme a system will be implemented at the Grama Niladhari Divisions level to fulfil the needs of the people.

Aturaliya Ratana Thero, Ministers Sarath Amunugama, S. B. Disanayake, Sajith Premadasa, Governor of the Southern Province, Hemakumara Nanayakkara, Governor of the Eastern Province, Austin Fernando, Ministry Secretaries including Secretary to the President, P. B. Abeykoon, District Secretaries, State officials, representatives of the World Bank and dignitaries participated in this event.

(GID)