A special financial relief package would be introduced for ailing Tourism Small and Medium Sector hotels, said Minister of Tourism, Sports and Lands, Harin Fernando.
He told Sunday Observer Business that the temporary suspension of Parate action by banks will end by December 31, 2024.
“Tourism stakeholders met President Ranil Wickremesinghe where this issue was also discussed.
“It was indicated that it was no longer possible for the ‘suspension of Parate action’ to be further extended as it will have a negative impact on the banking sector.
“Hence the government will come up with a new low cost financial support system to bail out the SME hotels which are in debt,” he said.
The Minister, however, said that the only hoteliers who are registered with the Ministry of Tourism and “those who have fulfilled financial obligations to the banks on repayment would be eligible for this new special relief financial package scheme.”
Minister Fernando challenged National People’s Movement (NPP) leader Anura kumara Dissanayake for a debate on the foreign travels of the minister.
Fernando said yesterday that Dissanayake had accused him of going on many foreign tours spending huge sums of government money and had not brought any productive results to the country.
Firstly, tourism earnings have passed the USD one billion mark in the first six months and secondly Tourism arrivals at the end of 2024 June stood at 1,010,249 also showing an increase of 61.7% as against the corresponding period the previous year. “These are achievements we have made,” he said.
The Minister said during his tenure he has toured 14 times for promotions and to attend trade and road shows out of which I used my own funds on 12 occasions. “I only used government allocated funds on two occasions.”
“I wish to ask Anura Kumara is, who is spending for his travels the most recent being to London and Japan and I would like to challenge him for a debate on this subject,” he said.
