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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Budget
secures more votes for Govt
by Ananda Kannangara
Former Deputy Finance Minister and Colombo District UNP MP Bandula Gunawardene in an interview with the Sunday Observer said that several election pledges made by the UPFA Presidential candidate at election propaganda rallies were contradictory when compared with the proposals, made in the Government's Budget on Tuesday. Below are excerpts of the interview: Question: How do you say that some Budgetary proposals made by the Government on Tuesday do not tally with some election pledges made by the UPFA Presidential candidate ? Answer: There are a number of instances. For example, the UPFA promises that 4.3 million school children in the country will be provided with a mid day rice meal. But the Budgetary allocation is only Rs. 33 billion for expenditure of the whole education sector. Q: At a time the fertilizer prices are going up, the Budget clearly indicates that a 50 kilo bag of fertilizer will be given for Rs. 550. What is your comment on this ? A:This is a very good proposal. But this was first announced by the UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe after a careful study of the problems, faced by farmers in the country. It is also mentioned in the UNP's "People's Agenda". However, the UPFA election manifesto indicates that fertilizer will be given for Rs. 350, but Government budget indicates that it will be given for Rs. 550 . Q: Why did the UNP boycott Parliament on the day the Government presented the budget ? A: This was the very first occasion in the political history of a government that had presented a budget at a time when the country was preparing for an election. This is a politically motivated Budget. We are well aware the Government purposely presented the budget with the intention of securing more votes from people by giving them a lot of promises. We also know that a debate on the Budget proposals cannot be taken before the election. Therefore we are well aware that these proposals are confined only to a piece of paper and there is no authenticity. This resulted in our boycott of the Parliament on that day. Q: What is the UNP's ultimate solution to this situation ? A: After coming into power our first task is to introduce a people's friendly budget. Then we will also invite the main opposition, the SLFP to join hands with the Government to solve the ethnic conflict. We will also introduce a program to control the cost of living and not put much pressure on consumers by increasing the price of main commodity items as it happens at present. As we said earlier we are expected to set up large scale industrial projects with foreign collaboration. The public servant be given thirteen salaries every year. In addition to this all allowances currently paid to public servants will be added to their basic salaries. We will also make a payment of Rs. 3000 to each disabled person in the country. Samurdi beneficiaries will also be granted an increased payment between Rs. 1000- Rs.4000 under the new Siya Saviya program. Q: In addition to the problems related to the budget, would you make a comment on the open economy system which was brought to this country during 1977 ? A: This is a globalised world. Almost all the countries in the world have embraced the globalisation process. Our open economy system was also a part of the globalisation process. Therefore if the open economy was not introduced by former President J.R. Jayawardene, the country would have not come up to the present position, where we introduced free trade zones, garment industries and many other large scale industries to improve the economy while opening new employment avenues for the youth. |
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