Sri Lanka, June 23 -- Sri Lanka should aspire to achieve economic growth rates similar to those recorded by some Indian states such as Tamil Nadu, which have consistently maintained annual growth of 10 to 11%, MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said at the event marking the 25th anniversary of the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) held at ITC Colombo yesterday.

He said that an average growth rate of around 5% is insufficient for Sri Lanka and stressed that the country should aim for sustained economic expansion of 10-11%.

Dr. de Silva also said that the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ECTA), which has remained under discussion since 2000, should now be implemented.

"With a government enjoying a two-thirds majorit...