Former United National Party Deputy Leader and Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake says poverty cannot be eliminated by relying on statistical figures alone, stressing that real solutions are needed to address the country’s economic challenges.
Speaking during a political programme on a private television channel, Karunanayake said every government has faced governance challenges and that resolving Sri Lanka’s economic and national issues requires collective action rather than political division.
He called for open discussions on the country’s key issues, arguing that lasting solutions can only be achieved through cooperation and constructive dialogue.
Commenting on the reduction in the number of welfare beneficiaries, Karunanayake said such a move would be justified only if people’s living conditions had genuinely improved and hunger had been eliminated.
Referring to findings from a Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) survey that reported public satisfaction with the Government’s performance, Karunanayake questioned whether statistical indicators reflected the realities faced by the public.
He noted that millions of people continue to depend on welfare assistance and argued that changes in beneficiary numbers alone do not indicate that poverty has been reduced. He also referred to discussions surrounding welfare reforms linked to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), questioning whether such measures would truly eliminate poverty.
