Agriculture Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has stated that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the politician most closely associated with promoting neoliberalism within Sri Lankan society. Speaking at a seminar organized by the National People’s Power, Lal Kantha highlighted the ideological differences between Wickremesinghe and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
According to Lal Kantha, Ranil Wickremesinghe is a leader with a clear vision for the country’s future, while Mahinda Rajapaksa lacks a comparable vision and has only focused on maintaining society rather than driving transformative change. He further asserted that Wickremesinghe’s approach is grounded in neoliberal principles, a perspective that Rajapaksa does not share.
Lal Kantha also emphasized the need to limit further recruitment into the public service, warning that continued expansion would lead to its eventual collapse. Instead, he suggested that the government should focus on creating jobs within the private sector rather than relying solely on public sector employment.
His remarks come at a time when the sustainability of public service employment and economic growth through private sector engagement are subjects of increasing debate within Sri Lanka.
