COLOMBO: New Zealand has assured to extend full support to Sri Lanka to further its economic and financial growth to make the island nation an economic hub in the region.
New Zealand Minister of Finance Simon William English assured to provide Sri Lanka with New Zealand’s expertise and knowledge to enable the island nation to carry out the financial reforms necessary to be on-par with the new world market when Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his team met with the Minister at the InterContinental Hotel in Wellington today.
Expressing willingness to support Sri Lanka, Minister English commended the work done by Sri Lanka to create a wave of investment opportunities, and expressed his support to assist Sri Lanka in furthering its economic and financial growth. The two sides discussed and analyzed the current economic and financial challenges Sri Lanka is facing, especially the island’s debt burden.
The Premier presented the importance of addressing the issues of reducing the immense debt burden of the Nation that was accumulated over the last ten years, while ensuring that this burden did not fall upon the citizens of Sri Lanka. Special attention was paid to the importance of minimizing shortfalls of the tax revenue collection system while increasing the State revenue.
Economic Advisor to the Minister of Finance Simon Duncan, Team leader, International, New Zealand Treasury Chris Nees, Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ms. Joanna Kempers, Foreign Policy Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ms. Emma King were also present with the Minister of Finance at the meeting.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also met with the Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Patsy Reddy at the Government House in Wellington.
