Parliament

Government stabilizes economy - Deputy Education Minister T.B. Ekanayake

Wednesday's parliamentary proceedings

R. Yogarajah (U.N.P.): The Government admits it is a failure. That is why they have no new proposals in their budget proposals for 2010.

Although the Government says the per capita income is doubled it is not true.

It is just cooking up figures to cheat us and the world together.

A.H.M. Azwer takes the chair. Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Deputy Minister Vijithamuni Zoysa : I thank those who voted to elect me to this Parliament as a member from Moneragala.

Before I talk of the budget I have to say my motherland was seriously ill and was paralysed. Nobody could cure her until President Mahinda Rajapaksa cured her. The Opposition is now criticizing only of minor illness such as a cough. It also can be cured by our leader.

We know what were the slogans of the UNP in 1977. They asked of the price of bread and promised to reduce the prices of commodities. The public were cheated in 1977. The prices were never reduced.

But the UNP with their new members played the same role yesterday. But it is useless because people cannot be cheated with those cheap tactics. You have to act a different role but you don't have a good director. That is the problem. Think of the health sector. This Government constructs a hospital in Mahiyanganaya with sophisticated facilities.

The hospitals in Bibile, Moneragala and Badulla were upgraded in par with main hospitals in the country. Technology was taken to the village. Neranjan Wickramasinghe (UPFA): This Government has programs to uplift the economic standard of the people in the villages by taking measures to develop the rural areas.

Social Services Minister Felix Perera:

There were many speeches today but the question arises as to whether there were any criticism. This budget is not a traditional one.

As you know we had to spend lot of money on the "humanitarian operation."

Thereafter the Government has to spend an equal amount to resettle them and for their welfare.

Inflation is controlled and savings is increased to 23.5 percent which are positive indications of economic development.

There are two types of disasters. One is natural disasters the other man-made.

The man-made disasters are terrorism, underworld, tree felling etc. But our President Mahinda Rajapaksa has eradicated terrorism. The rest are being countered.

Antony Victor Perera (UPFA): This budget is remarkable as it is designed to uplift the living conditions of the people in the entire country.

There is a vision behind this budget. There is a vision to overcome the poverty in the country after the elimination of terrorism.

There are various programs to uplift the economy of different parts of the country.

There was an era when 65,000 youth were killed. There was no politician to go before Geneva and talk of human rights. But only President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was only a member, went to Geneva to talk of the rights of those youth.

Sri Ranga (UNP): The prices of flour has been increased. It affects the people in the up country. This is a blow to them. Even the British gave them flour at a concessionary rate. The proposals in this budget has not given any relief for the people.

Education Deputy Minister T.B. Ekanayake: The Government has taken measures to stabilise the economy. That is why many international organizations come forward to provide loans to Sri Lanka. The way of managing inflation, poverty and unemployment rate is very methodical.

We can see carpeted roads in the North and East after a lapse of 30 years. We are constructing 57 bridges in these two regions now.

Special allocations have been made to empower Samurdhi beneficiaries through this budget. We will implement comprehensive strategy to promote tourism in Sri Lanka. Twelve tourist hotels are being constructed in several areas of the country.

Technology and Research Deputy Minister Lalith Dissanayake: The Opposition tries to mislead the House about the tax system. We have not imposed any taxes to burden the poor.

We have brought down the unemployment rate. Laksathosa which was to be closed under the UNP regime have recorded profit now. We have not privatized any of the public property. We restructured all institutions which were going to collapse.

The per capita income has been increased and no one can deny these facts.

The Government has given priority for the well-being of the people.

We have made allocations for the nutrition programs on behalf of children and pregnant mothers. This is a budget which has brought forward for the social protection of the people.