JVP says 2013 Budget is a big deception

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna says that the Government’s 2013 Budget lacks a future vision for the country and fails to provide any relief to the masses.

General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva speaking at a media conference said the 2013 Budget had not mentioned anything regarding the future of the country or economic development.

It has mentioned only the income and expenditure and nothing about the Government’s economic vision or its future programs, Silva noted.

Normally a budget is a document that contains broad economic strategies, policies, economic development and the future programmes, Silva said, adding that the Budget proposals presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa haD been compiled according to the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “It is a big deception,” the JVP General Secretary said.

However, financial organisations in the country have commended the 2013 Budget as a step in the right direction.

The Pathfinder Foundation, a think tank in Sri Lanka, praised the Government for not succumbing to the temptation of providing large-scale handouts that are unaffordable.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said it was encouraged by the commitment to fiscal discipline displayed in Budget 2013.

However, according to the JVP politician, the 2013 Budget gives relief to only racketeers and owners of black money and not to the working masses.

He noted that the working masses – the employees of the State, private and estate sectors – had asked for a salary increase, but the Government had ignored them and only granted Rs. 1,500 as cost of living relief.

The JVP General Secretary said the party opposed this Budget and hoped to launch a series of agitations to win the rights of the masses.

“The masses can win their rights only through struggle. This Government would not allow the masses anything without a struggle. We ask the masses to rally to win rights,” he urged.