By Gihan de Chickera & Kelum Bandara.

The JVP yesterday charged that according to the Vote on Account presented to Parliament, Rs. 19 million would be spent per day to maintain the office of the President.

JVP MP Sunil Handunneththi said the capital expenditure for the President was Rs.1400 million meaning that Rs. 19.1 million would be spent a day.

He said some ministries had not received enough money to function even for a month and insisted that unlike a budget, a vote on account could not provide relief to the people.

“After the end of the war the people were expecting the government to present a budget for 2010 that contained tax concessions, wage hikes and a strategy to reduce the cost of living,” Mr. Handunnethi said.

However instead of providing relief to the people the government has presented a vote on account that only allocated money to separate ministries for their day-to-day functioning.

“With the end of the war the people were expecting some relief by way of the exemption of the Defence levy and other taxes. This is a right of the people”, Mr. Hadunneththi said.

He said businessmen had to pay 63.7 percent of their net profit as taxes, and a person earning Rs.19, 000/= had to pay about Rs. 6,000/= as taxes.