Mangala briefs SLFP leaders on budget reliefs

Other issues notwithstanding, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( SLFP) and United National Party ( UNP) leaders met to discuss matters over the November 4 budget proposals last Thursday night.

Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera gave the SLFPers, for the first time, a general idea of how his budget proposals would be. The meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena.

An area of broad agreement came when Minister Samaraweera assured, at the request of SLFP ministers, that there should be proposals in the budget to bring down the cost of living. Among the other areas he had agreed to focus on were benefits to the agricultural and fisheries sectors.

Accompanying Samaraweera for the meeting were his deputy Eran Wickremeratne, Treasury Secretary R. S. Samaratunga, Deputy Secretary R. S. Attygalle and Advisor Mano Tittawala.