Government officials should not hesitate to take necessary decisions for the public wellbeing.

The Prime Minister mentioned this when the National Food Security Galle District Progress Review Meeting was held in Galle on 16.12.2022.

"Government officials should not hesitate to take necessary decisions for the public wellbeing.

We are living in a period of different crisis that our country has not faced in recent times. Parents and elders here have heard about the Second World War. We raised our heads through the difficulties of that time. Since our country fell victim to an even more difficult period in the past, we all have to join hands to fulfill a huge responsibility to recover from it.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has stressed the need of proper leadership given to the food security program based on those facts. For us, foreign exchange became a serious problem in economic management crises. And we are facing the crisis of solving the problems of indebtedness. Due to issues affecting our country internationally, we have faced a problem of maintaining public interests as well as exports.

Premier highlighted that our country is a country that can be self-sufficient. If we get the ability to be self-sufficient especially in rice and essential foods, we will be able to direct the main wealth that goes abroad to the people of the country and for development. Therefore, this food security programme must be launched from the village in all the fourteen thousand two hundred Gramseva divisions.

"We have a challenge to transform the district secretariats, divisional secretariats and public institutions into a programme where representatives of political leadership come together. Recently, there was a setback among our farmers due to the problem of fertilizers. Because we have faith and the countries that support us have faith in our farmers, we have the ability to intervene in this debt problem. We must face the challenge of converting that belief into results". He said.

Premier Gunawardena claimed that there were many shortcomings. There were various debates about the statistics. But all those government officials had the ability to prepare basic statistics. The younger generation should create opportunities for women to have a new approach he said.

" If you read the Agricultural Service Act, you have been given the right to cultivate by that Act. Therefore no one should give an order. The clause states that those who come forward in the village can be given land for cultivation. The government officials know the coverage required to implement the powers of the decrees in every field. No one will be reluctant to do so. Take the right decision at the right time. Do not be disturbed".

He further expressed the need to join hands together to develop small industries and said that going as a separate department, the resources and time might be wasted. "Therefore, the President and the government have decided to make the lowest plan from the village".

" The youth are asking for new opportunities to hand over this country to the new generation through the goal of moving the country forward on a national plan." The Prime Minister explained.

Public representatives including Southern Province Governor Willie Gamage,
Ministers Ramesh Pathirana, and Manusha Nanayakkara, State Ministers Ashoka Priyantha, Geetha Kumarasinghe and Mohan P. de Silva, Members of Parliament Sampath Athukorala, Isuru Dodangoda and Yadamini Gunawardena and Public Administration Ministry Secretary Priyantha Mayadunne, Southern Province Chief Secretary Sumith Alahakon, Galle District Secretary Shanta Weerasinghe and other government officials were present on this occasion.