by Saman Indrajith

UNP and Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Friday challenged the government to a debate in Parliament either on the sixth or seventh of next month on the issues of selling off the Country’s gold reserves and obtaining loans from the Franklin Templeton Investments on an interest rate of 13 per cent.

He made this challenge soon after State Revenue and Deputy Finance Minister, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said there was nothing to hide with regard to the selling of Treasury bills to the Templeton Investments on an interest rate of 13 percent, and the government was ready even for a debate in the House.

Leader of the House said that dates for debates should be fixed at the party leaders’ meeting but not inside the chamber. Dates could be fixed in the Chamber if the Opposition demanded it and the Speaker permitted same, Wickremesinghe said.

Wickremesinghe said that even Sri Lankans had invested with the Templeton Investments.

Minister Siyambalapitiya said that the 13 percent interest rate was given not only to Templeton, but also to everybody who had purchased Treasury bills during that period of time.

Opposition Leader: Reveal the names of Sri Lankans who had invested at Templeton. We challenge the government to reveal the names of Sri Lankans who invested their money at Templeton institution.”

Minister Siyambalapitiya: “We’ll give you a date for a debate after the historic win at the polls for the Southern Provincial Council”.