The 8th President Ranil Wickremesinghe was severely criticized by the JVP for appointing state ministers who would get a huge amount of privileges at a time when the country’s economy has collapsed, the people are suffering from food shortages, and there is severe inflation in the country.
JVP leader Comrade Anura Dissanayake said this at a press conference held at their head office at Pelawatta yesterday (9th). He emphasized that the ministers imposed a huge tax burden on the people and did not give them even an ear pick’s portion of privileges though ministers serve themselves in boatloads.
The JVP Leader said, “Ranil Wickramasinghe’s government appointed 37 State Minister positions and within a very short period of time, more Cabinet Minister positions are to be given. When the common people are facing such economic difficulties that they cannot maintain their lives, fuel prices have been increased more than four times, and electricity rates have been increased by two or three times in the last few months. The water charges have also been increased, and the prices of essential food items have been greatly increased. People are facing many problems every day. The government should give priority to solving these problems of the people. But the current government is trying to solve the internal problems of the people in the government. Ranil Wickramasinghe is busy solving the problems of the 134 people who voted to elect him. He has stated at the party conference that his grandmother and grandfather had advised him saying, ‘If you take a loan, pay it.’
Ranil Wickremesinghe’s presidency has been borrowed from Basil Rajapaksa. Now, 29 MPs representing Pohottuwa have been given the posts of state ministers to settle the debt of Basil Rajapaksa. Six representatives of the SLFP and two representatives of SJB have been appointed as Ministers of State. Apart from that, more Cabinet Minister posts and district coordination committee chairman posts have also been given.
Ranil Wickramasinghe is spreading propaganda that the state ministers appointed to pay Basil’s debt do not get paid. Salary is irrelevant to them. According to the circular issued by Ranil Wickramasinghe’s government on April 19, 2016, the provisions given to the ministers have also been validated for the state ministers. The only thing a state minister loses is not participating in the cabinet. The concerned minister should submit the cabinet paper. State Ministers officially get 03 vehicles. They get 600 litres per vehicle in the Western Province and 750 litres per month outside the Western Province. A diesel vehicle gets 500 litres in the Western Province and 600 litres outside it. 2250 litres of petrol is available for 03 such vehicles. Only five litres are given to a three-wheeler that has to sustain a family. At Rs. 450 a litre of petrol, each state minister will get 1,0125,00 rupees per month for oil. A diesel vehicle gets 1800 litres. Rs. 430 each at Rs. 778,000 will be received. One state minister gets a big privilege for oil.
Also, a minister gets two phones for the office, two for home and one mobile phone. Rs. 20,000 for the two phones in the office, Rs. 10,000 for the home phone and Rs. 10,000 for the mobile phone. Altogether, Rs. 40,000 will be given. This money is given in addition to monthly fixed charges and taxes. When the price of fuel increases, it is calculated according to the prevailing prices in the local market on the first day of the respective month. In parallel with the increase in fuel price, the amount received by the ministers increases. Apart from that, houses and all other facilities are provided with public funds. They buy food and drink from public money. Even the cutlery related to those houses is provided with public funds. According to old circulars, ministers who cannot get a house will be given an allowance of Rs.100,000.
15 people are given to the ministerial staff. They are a private secretary, two coordination secretaries, a press secretary, a public relations officer, five private assistant public relations officers, two office assistants, two drivers, etc. Five of them get phones paid for by public money. Rs. 5,000 to 6,000 bills are paid for them. This is the amount given after removing fixed fees and government taxes. 08 police officers are given to a minister for security. Two police officers are provided to MPs. We, from the JVP, have not taken police officers for security. A security vehicle will be given to a minister along with fuel. Rent should be paid for the ministerial offices provided for the posts of state ministers.
Privileges, including vehicles, fuel and telephones, are given to high officials, including the ministry secretary. It is the same for Additional Secretaries. The cost of maintaining a state ministership is like the cost of maintaining a colony in our country. Should the citizens of our country bear such a burden? On the other hand, 15% VAT and 2.5% interest are also imposed on the people. A flock of parasites is maintained by the wealth of the people. The public is not given even an ear-pick, but the ministers serve themselves in boatloads. Should the people continue to bear such expenses?
It is this political culture that has thrown our country into economic decline. Finance Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has the spoon in his hand. And the appointed president is appointing ministers and deputy ministers at his will. They distribute the wealth of the treasury in buckets. Do we need wasteful ministerial posts in such a big economic crisis? Is the people’s problem lack of ministers and state ministers? People have questions about food shortage and rising prices. The country has the problem of lack of dollars, lack of money in the treasury. Ranil Wickramasinghe, leaving all these aside and without solving the problems of the people, comes on stage and says that the public service should be reduced and expenses should be reduced.
While they share as much as possible, people are put under extreme pressure. This political culture must be changed. People should rally for that change. We need to change the political culture that is wasteful, frivolous and dependent on spending what has been earned.
No more experience is needed for this. These rulers have given us enough experience. Facts have been given. They have proven what kind of team they are. It has been proven that they are a small group that depends on people’s money. Therefore, we invite the people to rally to change this political culture.