Sri Lanka, July 10 -- spoke to Higher Education, Media, Technology and Innovation Minister Bandula Gunawardena on the economy and how the country would be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q Sri Lanka has never defaulted her debt service commitments up to now. But UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says that it is impossible for the government to raise US$ 3 billion for 2020 (Rs.550 billion approximately) in the midst of the economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. He further says that in October alone, we have to pay US$ one billion (Rs. 180 billion). How is the government going to address this major challenge?

The economic woes we are facing today are a making of the Yahapalana government itself and Ranil Wickremesinghe m...