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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Budget: Mass content From the news desk The Sunday Observer sounded out a cross-section of people on the budget proposals. Wage earners expressed content and others were appreciative of the general thrust of the proposals. Public Service Trade Union Federation President W. H. Piyadasa commending the budget said: We are extremely happy about the second budget of the UPFA Government. This budget has given benefits to workers, artistes, farmers, businessmen, professionals, Small and Medium Industrialists, etc. Government servants have received many benefits such as a minimum salary of Rs.11,630. They will be paid a Cost of Living (CoL) allowance to compensate for increasing prices. This is a highly commendable proposal because earlier public servants used to pressurise the Government by staging picketing, strikes, etc to increase their salaries. Then Governments increased salaries but took more from the pockets of public servants by increasing prices of various products. Every UNP Government said that Sri Lanka has more holidays than any other Asian country. But this budget will pay attendance allowance to public servants if they do not use 30 days of their leave. Three days leave for husbands when wives have babies and accident insurance are also commendable proposals for the working class. Bank Employees Trade Union President: M.R. Sha I think government servants are happy with the budget, because they have been given a substantial salary increase but that does not address the main issue of the country. It is not clear from the proposals how they are planning to bring down the CoL. On the other hand government has decided to improve the rural economy, which is an attractive feature. Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera of Jathika Hela Urumaya This years budget proposals appears very bright to us. Special emphasis has been placed to improve agriculture, fisheries and thereby to improve the rural economy and to improve the living standards of the poor people. UNP boycotting the budget shows how unrealistic they are. This budget has proposed to grant all concessions that the UNP has proposed in its manifesto. And even if Ranil Wickremesinghe becomes the President following elections he does not have a Parliamentary majority to present a UNP budget. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress General Secretary Hasan Ali We members of SLMC boycotted the Budget, for us this is more of an election hand bill, than a budget. It is strange how they can grant all the concessions, that they could not give for the last ten or twelve years. Joseph Pararajasingham, MP, Tamil National Alliance The budget proposals have allocated an unprecedented amount for defence expenditure. If the funds allocated for rehabilitation, education and health are put together, the allocations for defence would still be greater. Ceylon Mercantile Employees Union General Secretary Bala Tampoe Our union is not impressed by the budget proposals. It appears from the proposals they are not concerned about the vast majority of workers in the mercantile, plantation, industrial sectors and migrant workers. This is a capitalist country. In any capitalist country the private sector plays a main role in taking forward its economy, for that they are given incentives and encouragements, but here we are not even considered when preparing next year's budget. |
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