At the dawn of the new year, people must be determined to navigate through the difficult experiences in their lives to overcome future challenges, says Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. In his message for the New Year 2022, the Premier looked back on the challenges Sri Lanka faced in the past year as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. He recalled with gratitude the sacrifices made by the people of the country in order to overcome the social and economic challenges that followed the global pandemic situation. “Last year, as a government, we prioritized saving the lives of people. We were able to save thousands of lives by successfully implementing the vaccination drive,” he added. PM Rajapaksa said the government managed to complete the development projects, which had been abandoned even before the outbreak of the pandemic. He added that the government expects to continue to develop the country while uplifting the living standards of its people. “For this purpose, we need to overcome the socio-economic and political obstacles. Instead of blaming each other, we can overcome many issues by making right decisions and taking necessary actions.” The country needs those who offer solutions for practical challenges, not critics, he added. “Let us all work together to overcome obstacles and make the New Year in which everyone will win challenges.”