State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said that the Development Lotteries Board (DLB) should be commended for earning a profit of Rs. 3 billion, despite the severe crisis in the country.
The State Minister was speaking at a media briefing at the Development Lotteries Board on Thursday.
The Development Lottery Board was established by Act No. 20 of 1997 with the objective of providing funds for the Public Services of the President’s Fund and the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Fund.
“At a time when the foreign exchange crisis has seriously affected the country, at a time when we are waiting for the support of the International Monetary Fund, at a time when government expenditure and income management are being managed with great effort, and also, in the midst of many crises such as Covid, DLB has maintained the services and achieved the revenue targets last year.
For the first time in the history of Development Lotteries Board, they have earned an income of Rs. 3 billion.
Also, at a time when the cost of production has gone up, the chairman and the staff of the Development Lotteries Board should be appreciated for their efforts to achieve a turnover of 19 billion rupees with a profit of 3 billion rupees in a period when they had to bear a huge burden for the overall cost. Through constantly updated marketing plans and strategies, this result obtained by facing the crisis, creates a hope for our people who are with health issues in the midst of economic hardship,” State Minister added.
The State Minister stated that the country will be dragged further into the abyss due to negative expressions for political gain at the height of the crisis in this country.
He said that everyone should work together to take every necessary step to reduce the pressure of the country and the people, always recognising their responsibility to prevent that situation.
He said that if any kind of disruptive behaviour is organised again for political purposes, every step taken for economic stability will be hampered. If any party has any clear plan to overcome this situation, it should be declared openly, and all parties will work to give everyone’s support to that program, he said.