There is a great degree of inequity in the physical infrastructure and different facilities in outlying regions of Sri Lanka which are lagging behind the rest of the country, he told the annual session of the Sri Lanka Economic Association on Saturday.
"If you do not have certain facilities then people living there can't derive the incomes they deserve," Sanderatne said in a presentation on policies to redress regional inequities.
The sessions focused on the disparities in growth and prosperity of different parts of the island.
Recent studies have shown that most of the infrastructure, industries and services are concentrated in the Western Province which also contributes over 50 percent of the island's Gross Domestic Product.
The Western Province, whose