President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday (03) reaffirmed the government’s commitment to facilitating economic growth and providing financial resources for essential public services.

Addressing a ceremony held at the Temple Trees to award appointment letters to 2,320 graduate teachers in the Western Province, the Head of State spoke of the positive economic trajectory that Sri Lanka has achieved through prudent fiscal management by the government.

Despite a previous period of economic decline, the Sri Lankan economy has witnessed a strengthening, leading to the appreciation of the rupee against the dollar, Wickremesinghe highlighted.

He attributed this positive shift to effective economic policies implemented by the government, which allowed for the current recruitment of teachers.

“Last year, the rupee had depreciated to 370 against the dollar, but today, it stands at 300.” The president expressed his optimism in further reducing this value to 280 in the future, which he said would bolster the purchasing power of the people.

Wickremesinghe emphasized the government’s commitment to facilitating economic growth and providing financial resources for essential public services.

Despite facing challenges, the Head of State underscored the government’s achievements in enhancing public sector salaries and benefits, tripling ‘Aswesuma’ welfare benefits and ensuring fair prices for agricultural produce, particularly during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season.

Looking ahead, he affirmed the government’s dedication to further bolstering economic development, with plans to allocate additional funds to the education sector for teacher recruitment by the following year.

Wickremesinghe also announced significant strides in education, revealing that the government has initiated the recruitment of approximately 4,000 teachers in 2024. With the strengthening of the country’s economy, he assured that more funds would be allocated to fill teaching vacancies by the following year.

He highlighted that while 2,300 teachers have been appointed, there are still 700 vacancies to be filled. “Plans are underway to hire approximately 1000 more teachers based on existing vacancies. This year alone, around 4000 teachers have been recruited, marking a significant milestone after a hiatus of three to four years.”

The president attributed the resumption of teacher recruitment to the country’s economic recovery and the easing of constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had previously halted such initiatives.