"Without
development,
there
won't be
peace;
we must
develop
the
economy,
I don't
want to
just be
the
liberator,
I want
to be
the
leader
who
brings
permanent
peace
and
development
to this
country
and
reconciliation
with
Tamil
communities
in the
North
and the
East",
said
President Mahinda
Rajapaksa
in an
extensive
interview
with the
‘Forbes’
Magazine.
"The war
is
over,"
he said.
"Now we
have no
excuses.
We have
to start
working
and
develop
this
country."
“I am a
president
for the
whole
nation.
I divide
people
not as
Sinhalese
or
Tamils
or
Muslims
or
Burghers.
I divide
them
into
people
who love
the
country
and
people
who do
not,”
the
President
said. He
said he
speaks
Tamil
when he
wants
to, as
he can
approach
them
more
closely
by
speaking
to them
in their
own
language.
The
President
Rajapaksa
spoke of
the
country’s
current
economic
trends
and said
even in
the war
time the
economy
grew by
at least
6% each
year.
Inflation
is now
down to
1.1%,
from 11%
four
years
ago,
according
to
Central
Bank
figures.
And he
notes
that per
capita
income
has
risen on
his
watch
from
$1,200
to
$2,000.
He
spoke of
his
government’s
commitment
to
economic
development
and said
"We must
have a
Sri
Lankan
model."
… "I
prefer
to be
agriculturally
based.
If you
can be
self-sufficient
in food,
then the
industries
will
come,"
he said.
On
the
question
on
inquiries
into
alleged
violations
of Human
Rights
during
the war,
especially
in
its
final
stages,
President Rajapaksa
said “We
must not
follow
what
happened
in
Africa
or in
Europe."
... "I
don't
think it
is
healthy
to start
digging
into the
history,
these
problems.
We must
forget
about
the past
and
start a
new
life,
new
thinking,"
he
further
said.
When
‘Forbes’
Magazine
asked
the
President,
’whether
Sri
Lanka
does 70%
of its
business
with the
West,
now have
new best
friends,
he said
“Whoever
wants to
help me,
I will
welcome
them
without
strings,"
and said
“I have
invited
Americans.
New
bridges
and dams
are
being
done by
the
British
and
Canada."
He
said
he’s
instituting
a
Singapore-style
"one-stop
shop" to
limit
paperwork
and
smooth
official
contacts.
"Every
ministry
and
department
wants to
be the
king”
and the
President
said he
has
"zero
tolerance
of
corruption”.
“If you
give me
the
evidence,
certainly
I will
take
action
against
anyone,"
he said.
‘Forbes’
reported
that:
For now,
bottom-fishing
investors
are
looking
at the
country
with new
enthusiasm.
Singapore's
Calamander
Capital
is
raising
$75
million
for what
it
claims
is Sri
Lanka's
first
private
equity
fund,
targeting
the
plantation
and
ceramics
sectors.
Chief
Executive
of
Colombo's
Hatton
National
Bank,
Rajendra
Theagarajah,
wants
President
Rajapaksa
to
encourage
"Lankans
overseas
to
invest
as part
of their
contribution
towards
nation-building."
"I am
the man
who is
closer
to the
people
and who
would
risk my
life for
the
country.
That's
why I
won the
war, and
that's
why I'll
win the
economic
war,
too,"
the
President
said.
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