Opposition Leader wows to cut mobile phone tax

Thilak Pushpakumara Senanayake

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would reduce tax on mobile phones to enable youth to use phones widely. Addressing the Kandy district UNP electoral organiser’s (Balamandal-aya) meeting at the Hindu Cultural Hall, Kandy on Friday, the Opposition leader also assured that public and private sector salaries would be increased in the event of his securing power at the April 8 General Election.

Wickremesinghe said the educational system was in a mess and added all governments since 1948 took various steps to develop this sector except the government formed in 1970.

The Mahinda Chintana has failed to reduce the price of essential goods. Even the State income is not sufficient to settle loans obtained in the past, Wickremesinghe said.

He said there are unemployed graduates while schools are also closed. All these could be corrected only by a UNP government, the Opposition leader said.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said President Mahinda Rajapaksa could be removed from his position if the people voted for the UNP at the election.

He added that Ministers used vehicles at the expense of public funds.

“Today we have Ranil Wickremesinghe as our Prime Ministerial candidate. However, the government is silent on their Prime Ministerial candidate,” he said.

Kandy district UNP candidate Lakshman Kiriella said everybody had by now accepted the fact only the UNP had the capacity to boost the economy.

Democratic People’s Front leader Mano Ganeshan, Chanaka Ailapperuma, Lakshman Wijesiri, Lucky Jayawardene, A. S. M. Hakeem, Shanthinee Kongahage and several others also spoke.