by Dasun Edirisinghe

The Joint Opposition declared yesterday that it would move a second no-faith motion against Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake as several amendments to the 2016 Budget presented by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday would increase already burdensome taxes heaped on the masses.

Addressing the media at Dr N. M. Perera Centre in Borella, Colombo District MP Bandula Gunawardena said the government tried to cover up its inability to manage public finances by blaming former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, but there had been no such economic problems under the previous administration.

Gunawardena said Sri Lanka’s international reserves had increased to USD 8.2 billion in 2014, but it had decreased to USD 6.5 billion by March, 2016. He warned that there was a risk of it going down further due to the wrong policies of the new government.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had moved serious amendments to taxes, said Gunawardene. “In any other country the Finance Minister faced with such a situation would have resigned immediately. The Joint Opposition had started collecting signatures for the no faith motion yesterday, he added.

Colombo District MP Wimal Weerawansa said that though Prime Minister Wickremesinghe claimed that the government was left with no alternative but to increase the taxes to ensure recovery of the economy that had been shattered under Rajapaksa government, all economic indicators had been impressive under the previous administration.

The sharp increase in taxes was a New Year gift from the government, he said.

Weerawansa said that former President Rajapaksa, as the Finance Minister, had been able to maintain a healthy economy while handling a humanitarian mission in the northern part of the country, but the present government could not handle the economy even though there was no war and the oil prices had dropped drastically.

Matara District MP Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that according to a report released by the World Bank, Sri Lanka’s economy had grown during the Rajapaksa administration, but the present government was not ready to accept it.

He said Prime Minister Wickremesinghe was blaming the previous government, unable to meet his election promises.

Former Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana said the Joint Opposition would stage a massive rally at Hyde Park on March 17 against the government.

Former Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris and Colombo District MP Udaya Gammanpila also addressed the media.

Courtesy:The Island