Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake today urged Sri Lanka’s private sector to wake up and seize the opportunities provided by the government or else step aside.

Delivering a speech at an event in Colombo, the minister said he is extremely happy with 1,488 proposals, with face-to-face meetings with many and that they was able to take up as to what the private sector is thinking into government policy making.

“This has been one of the reasons as to why we have come as close as to the market taken your ideas, put our conditions in and reflected that in yesterday’s budget,” he said addressing the business community.  

What we did was amalgamate all the loopholes, motivated the business sector to its best, Karunanayake said. “What more can we give?”

“If the private sector can’t kick start from here, please I don’t think you could do business in Sri Lanka.”

“We have our minimum targets to get the country moving. We want to develop it with a very strong Sri Lankan industrial base,” he added. 

He emphasized that the government has given all the opportunities for a “wakeup call”. “And if you do not get up now please leave forever.” 

“Because we will ensure, the government will step in, foreign investment will come in and the people of this country will be protected because we need a country on the move.” 

“We are here to build a strong macro economy. Let’s get moving,” the finance minister said.