Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe listed out in parliament yesterday, debt the country has to repay and by when.

The Premier was responding to a question by UNP parliamentarian S. M. Marikkar.  

The Prime Minister said the government was expected to settle a loan of US$ 15,000 billion before 2020.

“We have implemented many programmes to face this challenge,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the other debts the government had to pay in order, were - 

 US$ 3,196 billion by 2021

 US$ 3,568 billion by 2022

US$ 1,945 billion by 2023

US$ 1,847 billion by 2024

US$ 3,904 billion by 2025

and US$ 2,522 billion in 2026

The Premier expressed confidence the unity government would be able to settle the loans without getting into more debt.

“We have also had to face a global economic crisis,” the Premier said.

“We will increase employment opportunities and find international markets for our products.”

The Premier also said the people should put aside differences and come together to solve these issues, and said the government would formulate a modern tax collection system to suit the present day.