Rajapaksa gets both bouquets and brickbats
BADULLA
The country’s budget has become (President Mahinda) Rajapaksa’s (rulers) personal document that fulfills their needs. It should be democratised and it should bring benefits to the country and the people. The last budget brought Lamborghinis to fill Namal (Rajapaksa)’s needs. Question is who will benefit from this year’s budget? Previous budgets have been presented by the government with far reaching pragmatic thinking for the common benefit and every one should be committed to support the government if it is developing the country. We will have to tighten our belts and be patient in the president’s efforts to develop the country. Everyone should understand the reality that the budget cannot provide many benefits such as Samurdhi to people like in the past and popular proposals at a time when the country is moving towards development. The budget is a mathematical gimmick, always burdening the people through indirect taxes while providing assistance like fertilizer subsidy. Why can’t the cost of living be reduced now that there are no war costs? The country is moving towards an abyss amidst the ever increasing corruption, waste and malpractices. The president and all politicians should take spending cuts in the budget. These savings could be used to provide relief for the people. The budget takes people for a ride using marketing theories and technical terminology.
COLOMBO
We should be patient as patriotic citizens giving strength to (President) Rajapaksa’s government as it has completed a massive development work unprecedented in the history of this country. The government has failed to make any attempt through recent budgets to solve the ever increasing cost of living. Basic salary of government servants should be increased at least by 50 per cent as the present wage is insufficient to meet daily food expenses. The country’s cost of living and high price of goods could be reduced by working with determination and enthusiasm. There is no problem for the people who work with perseverance. It has only affected those who do nothing. There was no proper national policy on tax collection in the country. Stooges of the rulers are evading taxes. At least half the tax money is not used for development and that is why the budget has to introduce various strategies to increase revenue. Only the Gods know our future plight if we fail to gain expected results from massive development projects and have re-pay all the foreign debts. Development activities carried out by mortgaging the future of our children should not be meant to achieve petty political objectives. The people and politicians should join hands in unison on behalf of true development tak- ing place in the country to defeat malicious allegations of international powers. This government which is suppressing the opposition and people’s powers cannot go on like this and it cannot survive for further three or four years.
KANDY
Budgetary policies and all other decisions are aimed at the betterment and sustenance of the government, not the consumer or the voter. The government always presents a development budget for the common benefit. It will be continued in the future betterment of the country. The government always presents a pragmatic budget aimed at moving the country forward instead of a popular budget. People should be patient even in the face of economic difficulties. We have never seen a government such as this which is wasting public funds unnecessarily. Everyone from the top to the bottom