Budget Has Deceived President And Parliament – Bandula Gunawardena

By Camelia Nathaniel and Ashanthi Warunasuriya

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q. What is your view of the budget that was presented last week?

A. I feel that this is a budget that has closed the eyes of the people and played them out, in simple terms. For the first time in history the president and the parliament and the people have been deceived by this budget.

 

Q. There were many short term, midterm and long terms proposals that were presented through this budget. Do you think this could have an impact on the country?

A. Yes I think this budget is more open even more than the time of J R Jayewardene in 1977. There are four factors that determine a country’s Gross Domestic Product for the year: – Natural Resources – Human Capital – Capital Goods – Entrepreneurship. What this government has done is freely give away the land resource to the international investors after removing all taxes. Hence what they have done is to clear the lands of all obstacles and make it easy for them to just come and take our lands. There are plans I hear to even make concessions for them to own lands.

Like the land even the capital is the same. They are going to allow black money into the country. In a few days time the government will ease restrictions on everything and allow the foreigners to simply come here and do what they like. They are hiding behind the opposition by blaming them for all their errors and inabilities and hoodwinking the people.

For instance they are harping that this government has allocated the highest ever in the history of the country, to education. This is a blatant lie meant to cheat the people. What they have done is value the existing school buildings and premises throughout the country and added it on as a day to day expense. Its 12100 million. In other countries if this was revealed the finance minister would have resigned immediately. Even when this came up in parliament, the speaker silenced the joint opposition.

Similarly when they decided to impose the emission fee increase, the three wheeler drivers and owners were getting ready to stage a huge protest. The moment the finance minister got wind of this, he says that this increase will not apply to the three wheelers and motor bikes. When the tax on beer was reduced the president had intervened and said that it was against his policies and wanted the tax on beer increased. All the expenditure estimates have become a big joke by now.

 

Q. Due to the increase in the nation building tax, will there be an impact on the telephone and electricity bills?

A. No, but not only the nation building tax, everything has been increased. Initially they said that this budget will hurt the rich and be a relief to the poor. But now the nation building tax, airport tax, vat, and all other taxes on essential items have been increased. However the people will only start feeling it after January next year. What the government is doing now is making up lies to hoodwink the people until the month of December passes. Only once the gazette notifications are released and the taxes imposed will the people feel the pinch. What is sad is that because the opposition is a well tamed one, they are silent and will not stand up to raise their voice on behalf of the people.

Since we are being constantly silenced and suppressed by the speaker, and are not allowed to raise any issue, we plan on gathering under the Nuga tree next to the parliament grounds and discuss these issues. Since this is the good governance regime they cannot assault us either. Hence we intend to inform the International parliamentary association as well and conduct sittings under that tree.

 

Q. What have you got to say with regard to the cash to be given to farmers instead of the fertiliser subsidy?

A. There are no more concessions. This ploy is to do away with the fertiliser and uniform subsidy in a gradual manner. This is just another way to hoodwink the people by promising money and vouchers, then gradually they will stop that too and the people will have nothing.

 

Q. The SLFP has always been a party that has leaned more towards a nationalistic approach. Are you now with the SLFP or the joint opposition?

A. I am with the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA)

 

Q. Why do you think that some of the members of the UPFA as well as the SLFP are supporting this budget?

A. Well certain parties may have been given certain privileges and advantages I assume. It is a painful job to be in the true opposition. There are many accusations and ridicule that is levelled against us. This is very hurtful. Those who decide to be in the true opposition have to be prepared to be labelled, ridiculed and taken before the FCID and other such places, so one has to be quite tough in order to survive.

 

Q. There are rumours that you too might decide to cross over. Is that true?

A. Well so far I have not been diagnosed with any illness. Our stance right now is to stop this government’s drive to bulldoze the parliament in their fascist approach. They are desecrating the sacred institution called the parliament with their lies. Right now what we want is not to cross over but to try to gather straightforward people who can stand up to this government and save this country. There are others who have taken up ministerial portfolios too who are waiting for the right time to join us.

 

Q. The Prime Minister had mentioned a midterm economic proposal. Do you think that this will work?

A. The problem here is that the president and the prime minister are both trying to govern in their own style. Before the budget the president came forward and told the country his policies, and then the prime minister comes out with his through the budget. This is like the buffalo and the bull tied to the same cart, where the buffalo is pulling toward the mud and the bull is pulling toward the grassland. This coalition will not get us anywhere but will just keep dragging to and fro.

 

Q. The government claims that prices have been reduced on major essential goods. Do you think there will be a reduction in prices?

A. This will not happen. During Mahinda Rajapaksa’s regime the dollar was at Rs. 131 but today the dollar is at Rs. 141 by the time the budget proposals are implemented the dollar will hit Rs. 150. Hence how can there be a price reduction in imported onions, potatoes, grams, dhal etc. Are they planning on holding the dollar by hand and stopping its upward thrust? This is something even a child can understand. It is evident to anyone how the cost of goods has shot up. With the dollar rising, how can one expect the price of goods to come down, this is a big joke. We will need some sort of miracle to implement these proposals. There is no guaranteed price for tea rubber or paddy, the people are facing a huge issue.

 

Q.        Although much was said about female representation and issues pertaining to women, this budget has not had anything for the benefit of women. What is your take on that?

A. There are no concessions for women. Even the women who have been making money by selling lunch packets at construction sites are left desolate as most of these projects have been stopped. Most of the self employed women made a living by supplying goods to these construction sites but today they are all left helpless.

 

Q.        Will you vote in favor of the budget?

A. According to what is happening now, I feel that it is insufficient to just vote against the budget alone. However I will decide if I am to vote against or not after the proposed meeting with the president.