Sri Lankan President Unveils 'Clean Sri Lanka' Initiative to Revitalize Environment and Society
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Colombo, Jan 1 (NationPress) Following his recent trip to India, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake officially launched the 'Clean Sri Lanka' national programme on Wednesday, aimed at constructing a morally and environmentally sustainable nation.
While inaugurating the 'Clean Sri Lanka' initiative at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, Dissanayake remarked that 2025 will signify the commencement of a new 'political culture' in the island.
"Our essential developmental objectives encompass the elimination of rural poverty, the execution of the 'Clean Sri Lanka' initiative, and the establishment of a digital economy. Initiated alongside the New Year, the 'Clean Sri Lanka' initiative aspires to elevate society through social, environmental, and ethical revitalization," he stated.
During the event, which was attended by members of the Maha Sangha, religious leaders, ministers, ambassadors, athletes, representatives from diverse sectors, and government officials, Dissanayake emphasized that the triumph of the 'Clean Sri Lanka' initiative relies heavily on the active involvement of the public.
Despite being blessed with a remarkably beautiful and vital environment and a strategic geographic position, Sri Lanka, he noted, faces 'grave challenges'.
"Restoring our environmental system must become a core focus of the 'Clean Sri Lanka' programme. Our nation and its people are in need of a new value system. We have erroneously elevated inappropriate values to prominence, embedding them as the core ethos of our society. Establishing a new framework of values is crucial," he asserted.
The 'Clean Sri Lanka' project, according to the Lankan President, extends beyond merely improving the environment.
"It is imperative to heal our society and introduce a new system of values and principles. Under the 'Clean Sri Lanka' initiative, we seek to institute these new values and systems... It aspires to restore the deeply eroded and deteriorated social and environmental fabric of our homeland. We aim to create cleanliness and rejuvenation across all sectors of society," Dissanayake articulated.
The other two primary focuses of the Lankan President include initiating economic reforms and adopting digital transformation.
"Our foremost priority is to rescue our nation and its citizens. Economic reforms are being devised to ensure that economic advantages reach rural communities, as an economy concentrated within a small group can never ensure stability for society. Such an imbalanced economy breeds instability for the nation and its people. Hence, achieving economic stability mandates extending economic benefits to rural populations," he declared.
He further elaborated, stating that the second objective is to embrace digital transformation.
"By laying a foundation for digitalization, we aim to reduce inefficiency and corruption while enabling citizens to engage seamlessly and effectively with state mechanisms," remarked Dissanayake.
