Ranil Wickremesinghe
Wickremesinghe at a loss on losses to EPF
[…] In the case of EPF, what we dealt was the maturity extensions so not a single person has lost a cent in that.
Al Jazeera | March 6, 2025
Posted on: 20 March, 2025
Blatantly False
Fact-checking president’s fact-check on foreign loans
Our country’s total foreign debt is USD 37 billion. However, this person [the one who posted on social media] is citing a false figure... [He] claims that we obtained loans of up to [USD] 100 billion [from USD 71 billion] over the past two years. However, everyone knows that no country gave us loans after we declared our inability to repay our debt. No country has the legal right to provide loans to us... How can we obtain loans if no country is providing loans to us? Should I go and rob the Bank of England?
Parliament YouTube Page | July 2, 2024
Posted on: 1 August, 2024
Partly True
President Wickramasinghe gets a plus on the current account surplus
By the end of 2022, the current account deficit of the balance of payments was 1.9% of the GDP. We were able to achieve a surplus in the current account of the balance of payments by the end of 2023. This was the first time since 1977 that a surplus was achieved in the current account of the balance of payments.
Parliament | February 7, 2024
Posted on: 28 March, 2024
True
President Wickremesinghe says money printing is prevented
We put the Central Bank there [in charge] without meddling in it. Henceforth, according to the law, we won’t be able to print money. We have lost our ability to borrow (obtain loans) from the Bank of Ceylon and the Peoples' Bank. Although it is tough, we have taken these steps to control inflation.
Rupavahini News | October 21, 2023
Posted on: 9 November, 2023
True
President Wickremesinghe mistakes decreased inflation as decreased prices
Inflation, which had skyrocketed to 70 percent, has now decreased to 25.2 percent, lightening the burden of daily life for all of us.
Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka | June 1, 2023
Posted on: 7 July, 2023
Partly True
President makes ambiguous claim on debt restructuring
Programme financing gaps: debt service reduction during 2023-27 should be sufficient to close external financing gaps. Under staff baseline scenario, US$17 billion in debt service reduction is required, including the arrears accumulated in 2022 So, we are trying to get a 17 billion debt reduction on that side. Do you want it or not.
Parliament Hansard | April 26, 2023
Posted on: 18 May, 2023
True
President right on reduction in registered tax files
In 2019, there were 1.5 million income tax files in total…when we abolished the PAYE tax, in December 2021, we [only] had 400,000 income tax files. It reduced from 1.5 million to 400,000.
President’s Media Division | January 28, 2023
Posted on: 9 March, 2023
True
President directs attention to low direct taxes
In other countries, most of the taxes are collected from a higher income bracket. In 2021, in India – 50% direct tax…Bangladesh – direct tax 32%...Nepal – direct 31%....69%. Indonesia – direct tax 40%...Vietnam – direct tax 31%...Thailand – direct taxes 37%...Malaysia – direct tax 66%...However the situation in our country is different. In 2021, our direct tax was 21% while indirect was 79%. We should take action to rectify this tax divergence. Then, the tax burden on the general public will be reduced.
The government’s policy statement from the President’s Media Division | February 8, 2023
Posted on: 17 February, 2023
True
President Wickremesinghe lands on his feet on government land ownership
The government being the owner of around 80 percent of land will take measures to facilitate access to land with suitable utilities for domestic and foreign investment.
Interim budget speech (2022) | August 30, 2022
Posted on: 27 October, 2022
True
President Wickremesinghe correct about SriLankan Airlines’ soaring losses
The loss of SriLankan Airlines in the year 2020-2021 alone is Rs. 45 billion. By 31st March 2021, the total loss was at 372 billion.
Lankadeepa | May 17, 2022
Posted on: 2 September, 2022
True
President Wickremesinghe understates the government expenditure
Although the former government’s budget projected a revenue of LKR 2.3 trillion, LKR 1.6 trillion is the realistic projection of this year’s revenue. The estimated government expenditure for this year is LKR 3.3 trillion. However, due to the increase in interest rates and additional expenditure of the former government, the total government expenditure is LKR 4 trillion. The budget deficit for the year is LKR 2.4 trillion.
Daily Mirror | May 17, 2022
Posted on: 10 August, 2022
False
Prime minister lost on cost of elections
You cannot go for elections now. The economy is getting really bad. We have to stabilise the economy. The cost of the last election was Rs.10 billion. It will cost Rs.20 billion this time. A candidate will require Rs.25 million minimum for campaigning. We have 196 candidates to be elected plus 66 additional candidates who will be on the fray. That will come to about another Rs.30-40 billion.
Daily News | May 8, 2022
Posted on: 30 June, 2022
Blatantly False
Former Prime Minister Wickremesinghe: Incorrect claims with some correct figures
When I was the Prime Minister, the government revenue was LKR 150,000 million. The revenue last month was LKR 50,000 million. LKR 90,000 million is needed to pay the salaries and pensions of the public servants.
Divaina | August 3, 2020
Posted on: 5 November, 2020
False
Prime minister on Rajapaksa-era exports: right on decline, not on details
In the ten years of the Rajapaksa administration, this country’s exports fell from 30% to 18%.
Divaina | August 12, 2019
Posted on: 5 September, 2019
Partly True
PM wrong on local law to arrest terrorists
“To take part in a foreign armed uprising is not an offence here…. there is no law to prevent you from that.”
Interview with SkyNews | April 26, 2019
Posted on: 7 May, 2019
False
Prime Minister quotes the Mercer Quality of Living City Rankings correctly
Colombo was the highest ranked South Asian city, but still only stood at 137 out of 231 cities. At least 15 Asian cities are in the bottom 50 of this ranking.
Daily News | July 10, 2018
Posted on: 19 September, 2018
True