Deputy Minister of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha de Silva on Friday told Parliament that former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa was rumored to be in Vietnam.

Answering a question raised by UPFA MP Lalith Dissanayake on alleged increase of state debt through the recent Treasury bond issue, Dr. de Silva said that no such increase happened. However, the government is facing the mammoth task of repaying the loans obtained by the previous government, he added.

He also stated that Basil Rajapaksa, who was responsible for the economic affairs at that time, left the country for the United States where he holds citizenship. However, he was reportedly not to be found in the United States now, Dr. de Silva added, saying that he has reportedly left for Vietnam.

In a separate incident, The Ambassador of Vietnam to Sri Lanka Phan Kieu Thu paid a courtesy call to President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday.

Basil Rajapaksa, a brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was appointed Economic Development Minister in April 2010. He left the country within days after the presidential election held on January 8.