President met over 2,700 reps before preparing budget

Sandasen MARASINGHE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Finance Minister met a large cross section of the public representing all sectors, communities and women’s bodies when the budget proposals for the financial year 2012 were drafted. They are to be presented in Parliament on Monday, said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The minister said that the President and Finance Ministry officials had met 2,718 representatives from different walks of life apart from meetings with ministers, deputy ministers, parliamentarians, government agents and officials.

He made this observation during a meeting with media heads at the Economic Development Ministry yesterday. Minister Rajapaksa said that the President met representatives from all walks, of life to make this budget more people-friendly, compared with the previous years’ budget proposals. He added that the President and the Finance and Planning Ministry had 56 meetings before drafting the budget proposals for next year.

Minister Rajapaksa said that the President and Finance Ministry officials met representatives which included farmers, large scale, medium scale and small scale businessmen, representatives of trade unions, public servants, private sector employees and commissioners before drafting the proposals.

He said that the President also obtained comments from women across the country, including those from Vavuniya, North and South and women employed in different sectors.