Harsha blasts GR & Co. for miserable failure in fixing the economic crisis 

Samagi Jana Balawebaya (SJP) Treasurer/MP Dr. Harsha de Silva 

Samagi Jana Balawebaya (SJP) Treasurer/MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday said as a responsible Opposition it was committed to democratic means of forming a Government and not to seize power via a coup like the current regime did temporarily in late 2018.

“After successive and miserable failures to fix the economy, if the Government admits it can’t govern anymore, then it is a different story. However, we don’t intend to resort to undemocratic means, but will come to power with a clear plan to revive the economy with people’s confidence,” the SJB Parliamentarian told the media.   

However, he urged the Government take corrective action to steer the country out of its worst-ever crisis notwithstanding the impact of the pandemic.

De Silva said cost of living has risen to unbearable levels and the entire goods and services supply chain has crumbled.  

“We have returned to the queue era of the 1970s for every essential product because of severe shortages,” he said. 

To the media he listed some of the exorbitant prices of essentials. 

“A kilo of rice is Rs. 160, sprats are Rs. 850 and not a single vegetable is available at below Rs. 500. A kilo of Green chillies is Rs. 1,200,” he said, adding that for the first time there was a robber of green chillies at the Dambulla Economic Centre.

“Though the President promised to create an agriculture revolution as well as self-sufficiency in saffron, today the latter is sold at Rs. 4,200 a kilo. Sugar is sold at Rs. 150 per kilo, dhal at nearly Rs. 300 per kilo and tin fish at Rs. 375, kilo of chicken meat at Rs. 2,000,” the SJB MP said, adding that the list is endless with the recent hike in milk powder. Inflation has risen to 12% whilst the food inflation is over 22%.

De Silva said the food crisis has nothing to do with the COVID pandemic but sheer mismanagement and policy inconsistency with reversal in many decisions.  

“People are living on one meal per day. The President Gotabaya Rajapaksa must take responsibility,” the SJB MP emphasised. 

He said: “For agriculture, especially paddy, what is required was fertiliser not foreign currency, but out of sheer short-sightedness, President Rajapaksa suspended it, and then reversed it, after realising the situation has worsened to a crisis. End result is fertiliser becoming beyond the reach of poor farmers.” 

“By neglecting the economic crisis, the Government has only ensured social and political turmoil,” he added. The abandoning of the automatic pricing formula for fuel introduced by the previous regime was also criticised by the MP, who alleged that Sri Lanka has become bankrupt to procure oil in the future.  

Dr. de Silva also criticised the excessive money printing by the Central Bank as well as the mismanagement of the foreign currency and reserves leading to drastic fall in the inflow of workers remittance. 

“All of these have caused further pressures on the economy,” he added. 

Whilst insisting that the Government must go to the International Monetary Fund and seek a bail-out to better manage the forex crisis and debt servicing, SJB MP urged President Rajapaksa to heed the advice of independent experts to rectify the situation, and that it will never be too late to do so.