{"id":41428,"date":"2015-02-12T22:12:04","date_gmt":"2015-02-13T04:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=41428"},"modified":"2015-02-11T06:44:49","modified_gmt":"2015-02-11T13:44:49","slug":"interim-budget-exposes-unp-lies-in-black-and-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2015\/02\/12\/interim-budget-exposes-unp-lies-in-black-and-white\/","title":{"rendered":"Interim Budget Exposes UNP Lies in Black and White"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dilrook Kannangara<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Despite some key inputs from the President, the budget was basically a UNP affair. The lies made to the public by the interim government are shocking! Any numerically literate person would see at a glance that the UNP is not keen to abolish or change the executive presidency, give the promised salary increase or develop the country any better than the previous government did. Please visit the website of the treasury and its budget page.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.treasury.gov.lk\/images\/depts\/nbd\/docs\/budgetestimates\/2015\/approved\/4.Expenditure\/Expenditure.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Sirisena Spends More Than Mahinda!<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is revolutionary to say the truth in Sri Lanka today. But it is a fact President Sirisena spends or budgeted to spend more than Mahinda; Rs.110.7 million more to be precise. The interim budget allocates Rs. 4.9 billion\u00a0for 2015 for the President whereas it was Rs.4.8 billion\u00a0for 2014. Definitely there is an increase in expenses for the President. Despite the increase, the government propaganda machine lies to the people about reducing the president\u2019s allocation and exuberant spending by Mahinda. Well, Sirisena will be spending even more. Where are the billions said to be reduced from the president\u2019s allocation?<\/p>\n

Executive Presidency and Powers to Continue<\/strong><\/p>\n

The worst part is President Sirisena\u2019s allocation increases every year. 2016 and 2017 projections show President Sirisena\u2019s allocation increasing to Rs.4.98 billion and Rs.5.09 billion in these future years. Obviously a president with less powers than now doesn\u2019t need an increasing budget.<\/p>\n

Therefore it is crystal clear the interim UNP government is not keen to change the executive presidency. Allocation for the Prime Minister has also increased.<\/p>\n

Reduction for the Auditor General Department<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the election the Sirisena front promised to strengthen good governance, transparency and the national audit function. In reality the Auditor General department has been curtailed with a\u00a0large budget cut of over 10% from Rs.826 million in 2014 to Rs.739 million in 2015. How can the state sector auditors do a proper job when resources are taken away from them?<\/p>\n

The underlying reason is clear. The new government plans to set new records in corruption, fraud and waste and keep the public in the dark by making the Auditor General Department impotent. It will also not go hard on corrupt politicians and officers of the previous government. The audit function is essential to keep the public sector in good financial standing and to frame the wrongdoers.<\/p>\n

An Astronomical Increase for the Department of Elections<\/strong><\/p>\n

Department of Elections has received the highest increase in the interim budget. Its Rs.2 billion budget has increased to Rs.3.6 billion which is an 80% increase. Further increases are projected for 2016 and 2017. Government intention is to hold elections for the parliament, provincial councils and local governance bodies before their term expires to employ the large UNP grassroots level organisers. This Rs.1.6 billion should have been better utilised in healthcare and education.<\/p>\n

Such a tremendous increase also raises eyebrows as to the independence of the Department of Elections. Salary increases and other benefits for Department of Elections employees will also come out of this allocation.<\/p>\n

Reductions for Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs and Ministry of Defence and Urban Development<\/strong><\/p>\n

While all ministries get increases for the 2015 budget, the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs and Ministry of Defence and Urban Development suffer budget reductions. This can be understood in the context of the external supporters of the Sirisena coalition who wish to see the dilution of the national identity. It bodes badly with the wellbeing of the nation.<\/p>\n

Ministry of Finance and Planning Under Ranil Gets An Increase of 850% in Capital<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ministry of Finance and Planning capital budget for 2014 was just Rs.37 billion. It has been increased to a staggering Rs.352 billion in 2015. That is an increase of Rs.315 billion (close to US$3 billion). As Prime Minister Ranil is in charge of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, it raises doubts as to the intention of the interim government. Does the $3 billion relate to loan repayment routed through the Ministry of Finance and Planning?<\/p>\n

Meanwhile essential sectors are left out.<\/p>\n

Ministry of Power and Energy and Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage Denied Vital Capital Funds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Power and energy and water supply are two key areas needing urgent investments. However, they have been starved of investments by the interim budget. Ministry of Power and Energy capital budget has been reduced from Rs.32 Billion to a paltry Rs.39 Million. Power and energy infrastructure will suffer enormously.<\/p>\n

Water Supply and Drainage also suffers a reduction of Rs.23 billion which is another key infrastructure area needing urgent attention. National development will be severely hampered by the step motherly treatment given to them.<\/p>\n

No Promised Public Sector Salary Increase<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most crucial election winning promise of the Sirisena coalition was the much hyped Rs.10,000 salary increase for the public sector. However, the overall budget for personal emoluments has risen by a measly Rs.24 billion from 2014. Given the size of the public sector, that is sufficient only to award a salary increase of Rs.3,000. The promised Rs.10,000 will not be given. According to the Finance Minister, a salary increase of Rs.5,000 would be given initially and the remaining Rs.5,000 will be paid after June. Out of this Rs.5,000, a sum of Rs.2,000 was granted by the Mahinda government. Therefore the additional payment by the new government is only Rs.3,000.<\/p>\n

Voters have been taken for a ride. Trade unions must demand the full increase of salary by the promised Rs.10,000 a month.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contrary to the propaganda campaign of the government against the former president and his Cabinet of ministers alleging corruption and exuberance, it is the new UNP government that is wasteful and deceitful. Their doublespeak can be identified in the interim budget which provides no money for the proposed salary increase, national development, higher education allocation equally 6% of the GDP and vital infrastructure projects. They were all election time lies.<\/p>\n

Alleged exuberance on the part of the former president is also not reflected in the budget as President Sirisena has a fatter budget than Mahinda. The new government follows the propaganda theories of Goebbels of fooling the people by telling a big enough lie with sufficient repetition. How long can the UNP fool the people? People have been taken for a ride and there is no reset button.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dilrook Kannangara Despite some key inputs from the President, the budget was basically a UNP affair. The lies made to the public by the interim government are shocking! Any numerically literate person would see at a glance that the UNP is not keen to abolish or change the executive presidency, give the promised salary increase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dilrook-kannangara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41428\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}