In a fiery takedown of the government’s economic direction, MP Harsha de Silva has blasted the administration for its declining economic growth projections and heavy dependence on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning that at the current pace, Sri Lanka may not see real development until 2075.
Speaking out with scathing criticism, de Silva questioned why any government should exist if it fails to grow the economy. “If you can’t increase the economic growth rate, you are a useless government,” he declared. The government, he said, has shamelessly forecasted a drop in growth from 3.5% in 2025 to just 3.1% in 2026, a move he argues reflects the failure of the current economic model.
Calling the government’s admission “embarrassing,” de Silva vowed to challenge all 159 government MPs for defending a model that leads only to stagnation. He further claimed that during the previous administration, the economy stabilized, inflation dropped, and interest rates declined contrasting sharply with today’s scenario.
De Silva didn’t stop there. He accused the government of being held hostage by the IMF, stating that the next tranche of IMF funding is conditional upon yet another increase in electricity tariffs. He dismissed recent claims by a government minister that electricity prices would not rise as a “flat lie.”
As Sri Lankans grapple with soaring living costs and stalled development, de Silva’s explosive remarks have reignited the national debate on whether the current government has any real plan to lift the country out of its economic crisis or if it’s merely treading water while external institutions call the shots.
