Sri Lankan minister blames opposition members for losing EU's GSP Plus facility

A Sri Lankan minister today blamed the members of the opposition for the loss of European Union's GSP Plus tariff concession.

Minister of Youth Affairs Dullas Alahapperuma told a press conference today that the country lost the GSP Plus trade concession offered to Sri Lanka by the EU since 2005 due to the misleading campaign carried out by the opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, Mangala Samaraweera and a section of the Tamil Diaspora.

Alahapperuma said the EU started questioning the government about labour rights, human rights and good governance after the "mud slinging campaign" carried out by Wickremasinghe, Samaraweera and certain Tamil groups who are dreaming to establish a Transnational State of Tamil Eelam.He said the government is not ready to exchange the country's sovereignty, self respect, and integrity for a few millions of Euros.
He also observed that the EU intensified pressure on Sri Lanka and decided to withdraw the trade facility after former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka's controversial "white flag" story that tarnished the image of the security forces and the government.