Government sensitive to the issues of the people, finance minister says

COLOMBO: Sensitivity is not a weakness, said Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa at a meeting with state media chiefs.

The decision to change certain circulars issued by the government was due to sensitivity and not due to weakness, Rajapaksa pointed out.

He said that it shows how the government, especially the president, the prime minister and the ministers, are sensitive to the issues of the people.

The minister said that although he was of the opinion that the country should not be closed, the decision to close the country was taken at the request of the Maha Sangha, medical experts and others due to the sensitive nature of the government.

However, the minister pointed out that the closure of the country had made the control of COVID-19 much easier, adding that the decision had led to a drop in the number of COVID-19 infections as well as deaths.

He further said that although the Opposition parties allege that the sensitivity of the government is a weakness, the present government is not such a weak government.