Duty free permit taboo for public servants makes about turn

In an about turn on a thorny issue in the first national unity budget, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe yesterday announced that every state employee would be entitled to two duty free permits in a 10 year period.

“There is a lot of congestion on the roads so we will have to control the number of vehicles. We will not be able to provide permits every five years,” he pointed out.

The Premier said the economy would have to be changed little by little. “We need to bring the state and the private sector salaries to same level,” he added.

UNP MP and Deputy Minister for Public Enterprise Development Eran Wickremaratne said the Government was willing to make changes to the Budget based on its public consultations. “During the period of President Rajapaksa, the Budget was privatised. Today it is democratised. Those who have no experience in democracy think it is a weakness to make changes. We need to listen to the people,” Wickremaratne said.

 He said the difference between a kingdom and a democracy was a simple one. “Back then, you had a kingdom where king was not held responsible. Now we have a democracy where the President is answerable to the country,” the Colombo District Parliamentarian said.