Mini Budget on Jan. 29

The Mini-Budget of the new Government’s 100-day programme will be presented in Parliament on January 29 with a relief package for the people as promised in the run-up to the presidential election, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said today.

The Mini-Budget of the new Government’s 100-day programme will be presented in Parliament on January 29 with a relief package for the people as promised in the run-up to the presidential election, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said today.

He said while increasing the salaries of public servants, a mechanism would be introduced to increase the salaries of private sector employees who make up 83 per cent of the work force.

After assuming duties at his office at the Government Treasury complex yesterday, the minister said the mini budget would also contain proposals to reduce prices on 10 essential commodities including fuel.

“The people gave a mandate to this government to bring about a palpable change in the system of governance and for a stable economic which was drifting aimlessly. The people demanded that their tax burden be reduced because state revenue was being used for unproductive purposes. On the instructions of President Maithripala Sirisena and of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe I have been tasked to put an end to corruption and mismanagement at the Treasury with the assistance of Treasury Secretary Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga and other Treasury officials,” the minister said.
He said this government was under a capable and professional leadership and was not a one-man show. We are committed to eliminating the feudal system which had existed up to now.  

The minister said the Maithripala administration was not looking at minimising corruption but at eliminating it fully.

“Therefore, acts such bribery, obtaining huge commissions between 20% and 50% and other forms of corruption will not be tolerated under any circumstance. Corrupt officials will be severely dealt with irrespective of their political affiliation and status. Officials need not be subservient to anyone under this administration,” he said.

The new government of President Miathripala Sirisena has vowed to be transparent and subjected to checks and balances.

“We criticised the Rajapaksa regime while in the opposition and now it is our turn to practice what we preached,” the minister said.  “The economy has collapsed. We have decided to carry out an audit inquiry to know the real financial situation of the country. I hope we will be able to know in a week. Investors have stopped coming to Sri Lanka and the immediate priority is to build confidence and motivate them to invest in Sri Lanka. What we must do is not to destroy but create,” the minister said. “The Maithripala Government is made up of all communities and under its administration there will be no discrimination against Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers or Malays. Decisions on all matters will be taken collectively and not by one or two people. We are on a journey to become the most vibrant and booming economy in South Asia.”  (Sandun A Jayasekera)