Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa

Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa said the people of the country had hoped for a progressive Budget but they had received a regressive Budget.

Speaking to the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office on the 2022 Budget, the Leader of the Opposition said that there was no plan in this Budget to control the cost of living and economic inflation.

The Leader of the Opposition said that the Government had presented a Budget that would take the country to the abyss instead of building it, adding that the Budget was merely an ‘arithmetic jilmart’.

“The people of the country expected a progressive budget, but it was an empty nonsense. The people expected a populist Budget. But they received a regressive nonsense. There is no structure in this Budget. There is no plan to reduce the Budget deficit. There is no program to end inflation. There is no program to uplift the public lives, no system to uplift the farmer, no system of income generation. In short, this Budget is a Somali style budget. This is a Budget that has deceived the people.

“This Government does not have a program to build the country except a Budget that pleases its allies. A blank document with no short-term, medium-term or long-term plans. The Budget was another attack on the people affected by the disaster. Not only that, it is a Budget without any salary increments for public servants and private sector employees. In short, it is a document that had forgotten the people and created in the way their henchmen want.”

In short, this is a document that had forgotten the people on purpose and prepared to serve the wants of the Government’s minions, the Opposition Leader said.

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