President Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged all to confine their greed for political power to election periods only.
He was speaking in parliament today (13) on the final day of the debate on budget 2024.
The president also asked the people to be cautious of fairytales being said by politicians with an eye for power that will take the country back to bankruptcy.
He said he was addressing the House with great happiness because the IMF officially approved the second tranche of a bailout loan for Sri Lanka.
The IMF has admitted the country was now at a decisive juncture to come out of its branding as a failed state, he said.
Wickremesinghe said he was modestly happy to have given the leadership in that journey after accepting a bankrupt country a year ago.
Heroes who speak in parliament today had no courage then to come forward, but I accepted that challenge with determination and planning, he said.
The president admitted that the people tolerated with difficulties the certain difficult decisions he had taken.
All of them are the sharers of that proud journey that took us less time than most other countries to come out of bankruptcy, he added.