JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that it is puzzling as to who sanctioned the opening of liquor stores despite the quarantine curfew. He alleged that distilleries belong to ministers and bars are owned by MPs and perhaps the order was given to open the bars by the Government taking into consideration their income.
“The Government had said that it had lost Rs.15 billion in excise revenue. As a country we are facing the most severe financial crisis at present. The country’s income is Rs.482 billion and our expenditure is Rs. 1,678 billion. By the end of this year it will have to face a trade deficit of around Rs. 8.5 billion. It is in this context that China is going to be given 13 acres of the Port. The government has to sell public property to obtain loans. This is not a problem that can be solved by flexing muscles,” he added.
The removal of the Secretary to the Monetary Board of the Central Bank was expected as perhaps because the thief and the person who helped catch the thief cannot sit together, he said. “Serious anarchy is being created in the state machinery. A number of government officials are resigning. Meanwhile the Government is transferring a number of ambassadors. Administrative service officers are severely frustrated, but they have to be patient because of their livelihood. But those who can resign are leaving.” Meanwhile, Dissanayake also said that if the oil refinery had been upgraded the country would have been able to obtain many additional products. “During the period when it was in operation, the country produced fertilizers, nylon and pesticides. The country also earned a large amount of revenue through the supply of furnace oil, but by privatizing them the government lost revenue. What happened to the CPC is a good example of the fate that befell the country,” Dissanayake pointed out.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
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