The letter from the ministry of transport is published in full below with LBO's observations on the underlying nature of government finance:-
Editor
Lanka Business Online
Comment to the article Sri Lanka to build US$ 1.3bn monorail with Japan finance†published on Feb 21, 2014
Thank you for giving publicity to the proposed monorail system which the Ministry of Transport plans to implement to facilitate smooth access to the public to the Colombo metropolitan area. While your article correctly quotes the interview of Eng.
Rohan Seneviratne, Additional Secretary (Technical) of ministry of Defense and Urban Development, we find some other views expressed in the article may mislead the public about the proposed project.
Your article mentions that a government†subsidy will have to be financed through other tax sources including foods consumed by people in the rural regions who do not travel on the monorail.
I would like to draw your attention tha