Marikkar urges Govt. to provide immediate relief to the poor 

• Says Govt. was only able to obtain IMF loan by increasing Govt. revenue through the increase of tariffs and taxes 
• Asks the President to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the downtrodden so that Govt. may obtain IMF aid 
• Urges Govt. to provide relief to the underprivileged immediately by reducing electricity tariffs

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP and its deputy national organiser S. M. Marikkar has warned that Sri Lanka could face yet another economic crisis due to an increase in the country’s debt. The MP said Sri Lanka is experiencing the current crisis as a result of the $ 53 billion debt obtained by the country. 

“We are here today because we took out loans, lost the ability to repay them and our revenue also dwindled at the same time,” he noted. Speaking in parliament yesterday Marikkar said along with the latest $ 3 billion received from the International Monetary Fund Sri Lanka hopes to obtain a further $ 7 billion in the future which will in turn increase Sri Lanka’s debt from $ 53 billion to $ 61 billion. “Therefore a similar crisis could occur in the future,” he warned. 

The SJB MP also said the Government was only able to secure the loan by increasing Government revenue through various means to the detriment of the country’s poor. 

“There is no special reason why this loan was granted. It was granted because the Government increased its revenue by draining the country’s downtrodden financially through increased electricity tariffs, corporate taxes, PAYE taxes, fuel prices, and the cost of goods. It is not because the Government has been able to strengthen its means of revenue or generate new revenue-earning methods,” the MP said. 

Marikkar said President Ranil Wickremesinghe must note the great sacrifices made by the country’s underprivileged and professionals so that the Government could obtain IMF aid. 

Marikkar said the President must at least now consider providing them relief through the implementation of a social security net. “As the MP representing Kolonnawa I witness the sufferings of the people,” the MP said adding that the urban poor cannot afford three square meals a day nor purchase school items necessary for their children. He urged the Government to commence its relief programs by granting an electricity tariff reduction for those using 30 kWh - 60 kWh without merely talking shop.