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| Sunday, 25 April 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Jobs for 55,000 graduates, non-graduates Fifty five thousand unemployed graduates and non graduates are being provided with employment commencing next Friday, under the Rata Perata programme as promised in the Freedom Alliance General Election manifesto. A Government spokesman told the Sunday Observer that recruitment of 30,000 unemployed graduates to the public sector will begin next Friday and 25,000 non-graduates from May 15. He said the price of fertilizer will be reduced by Rs. 200 on May 1. The Anti Corruption Bill will be presented in Parliament in two weeks. Giving details of the recruitment programme for unemployed youth, the Government spokesman said that applications for the recruitment of 30,000 graduates will commence on April 30. It is estimated that there are 25,000 to 30,000 unemployed graduates as of now. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga repeatedly promised during the last general election that they will be provided suitable productive employment. The Freedom Alliance manifesto states: "As there is a tendency for the unemployed graduates problem to aggravate continuously, an accelerated programme will be drawn up to solve it. A national policy for solving the problem of the graduates will be drawn up to ensure a job for every graduate passing out of the university. For a start, 25,000 graduates will be provided employment within three months of the United People's Freedom Alliance taking office. They will be provided employment in the State service and additional training will be given for a productive vocation. In addition to this, the Government spokesman said the programme to provide employment to 25,000 non-graduates will commence on May 15. These jobs will be provided to GCE O/L and A/L qualified youth. This was also a promise made by the UPFA during the recent elections. It is stated in the Freedom Alliance policy statement, under the heading jobs for non-graduates', that 5,000 school leavers will be trained as Field Officers in the agriculture, animal husbandry and marketing sectors, workers in the anti-alcohol, anti-tobacco and anti-drug programmes and welfare officers for women and children. Ten thousand school leavers will be trained as tourist guides, as a means of self employment. A skills development programme for 25,000 school leavers will be implemented expeditiously in collaboration with the private sector, the National Development Fund and Samurdhi banks. In addition to this, fulfilling another promise of the Freedom Alliance, the Anti-Corruption Bill is to be presented to the Cabinet during the next two weeks. The UPFA election manifesto states that the people of this country have a grave dislike of their rulers and politicians. The reason for this is the selfishness, power hunger, unethical behaviour and illegal activities, fraud and corruption identified with Sri Lankan politics during recent times, as had been pointed out by the Freedom Alliance. Accordingly, the Freedom Alliance election manifesto has pledged under the heading 'Building of good governance', to take steps to minimise corruption at all levels. Fulfilling the promise made to give immediate relief to the people, the fertilizer price has already been reduced by Rs. 200. One of the main promises given by the Freedom Alliance to the farmers was that the curtailed fertilizer subsidy will be restored. Fertilizer at the reduced price will be made available from May 01, the Government spokesman said. |
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