Table IMF staff level agreement in Parliament: Harsha tells President

4 September 2022 08:53 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 24 Bookmark

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Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP and Chairman of Public Finance Committee Dr. Harsha de Silva today requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe to table the staff level agreement with IMF before Parliament on Tuesday.

"I will use my powers as Chairman of Public Finance Committee and get the document out, if President fails to do so on that day," Dr. de Silva said during a media conference today.

"We need to know what the government had agreed to do it in accordance with the staff level agreement. We understand that the government will have to get into agreement with creditors on restructuring debts. All citizens will be affected if domestic debt is to be restructured. The press release of IMF says that Sri Lanka will have to convert the capital account deficit into a surplus by 2025. This could result in huge tax regime and expenditure cuts," he said.

"Also we need to know the new legal structures which the President is going to introduce to curb correlation as well," he added. (Yohan Perera)

Comments - 24

White Elephants galore Sunday, 04 September 2022 09:49 PM

Huge Tax and the expenditure cuts are the need of the day. It means eliminating white elephants who drain the finance. It means recovering the looted wealth of the nation. It means minimizing wastage of public funds, specifically on parliament dwellers Will Ranil do it? or Will he be allowed to do it, by the present set of parasites?

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Tissa Fernando Sunday, 04 September 2022 10:19 PM

Useless SJB will object to that agreement.

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Pandithaya Sunday, 04 September 2022 10:27 PM

All what you wanted in your blue print is included in the agreement. You asked for it and now you got it. Help carry your baby.

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Rohan Winston Sunday, 04 September 2022 10:28 PM

Good call professor, we need transparency please.

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Sam Silva Sunday, 04 September 2022 10:34 PM

How do we really believe what the president says.

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Quolp Sunday, 04 September 2022 10:40 PM

Conditions placed by the IMF is so clear by every intelligent Sri Lankan, i.e. SL should agree to the MCC

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Lilantha Sunday, 04 September 2022 10:46 PM

Dear harsha , though you are respected by many people with your knowledge, don’t try misuse and gain cheap political mileage . So shameful when I listened your comments in todays press conference . Be a gentleman and work like a gentleman to bring solution to current crises . You were member of past regime when taxes were increased . Current president was priminster at that time . Don’t let your self down by gaining cheap political mileage .

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Extracts Monday, 05 September 2022 01:10 AM

3.Revenue Consolidation Fiscal sector reform is fundamentally important: the budget deficit must be reduced by both widening the tax base and restraining spending. There is ample room to strengthen the tax base as populist policies have resulted in Sri Lanka having one of the lowest.The 2017 Inland Revenue Act (which was scrapped in December 2019) brought this ratio to 13.5% within a year and should be reintroduced immediat

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Dolly Dias Monday, 05 September 2022 01:48 AM

Dr. Harsha de Silva don't try to be a "Cardboard SANDO" for cheap political games. What will you do if you know how many people will get laid off? The best you can do is; 1. Try to bring some stability to the country and stop playing cheap political games; 2. Since your contribution to this country has been ZERO "0", kindly leave politics without further wasting public funds - The second option would be the best

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Rex Jarkie Monday, 05 September 2022 05:12 AM

Mr R.W, please inform the masses what was agreed with the IMF to grant the relief

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S B Lokuge Monday, 05 September 2022 06:21 AM

You think you are a such a smart ass. All talk only, afraid to take a responsible ministry.

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Mohanmendis Monday, 05 September 2022 07:11 AM

A bloody disruptor a trechourus kolombians always oppose didn't have same enthusiasm against Bond scandal against AM then hiding behind footnote Mafia shame on Asai-Bayai King! What's their agenda

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TS Monday, 05 September 2022 07:57 AM

Dear Harsha, We know you are a "pothegura". You should understand the practical realities of IMF agreements and debt restructuring mechanisms. When you are in opposition, you are very patriotic, concerned about country assets, people's hardships etc., but when you are given to rule, its a different story. You cannot have everything your way. Options available to country with IMF and Debt restructuring are either agree to their terms or just continue as we are doing with the current pathetic state of affairs. Easy for AKD, Wimal, Sajith or SF to criticize the terms that IMF and the Creditors have imposed. Even if you come to power you will have to agree to those terms or country will plunge to further chaos. Experts say if the govt had gone for IMF option before last April, Gota should have still been the President. Don't block the progress so far achieved with IMF just for your selfish motives. During Yahapalana govt, people say that you never listened to others' views.

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Russel Harmmer Monday, 05 September 2022 08:11 AM

True Mr. Harsha, who knows what Ranil had agreed for to get the loan from IMF. He is only squeezing the public neck and killing us day by day.

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Prof. K.M. Mahalingam Monday, 05 September 2022 08:14 AM

Well said Mr. Harsha - Ranil should table the staff level agreement to the Parliament who knows for what conditions Ranil had agreed to obtain the IMF loan.

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A.M. Sumathipala - (Businessman) Monday, 05 September 2022 08:17 AM

We have never undergone such a crisis Mr. Harsha de Silva in our lifetime, Rajapakshes'and Ranil had almost killed half of our population making them to stave. Only people like you could stand for us Sir.

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Athk69 Monday, 05 September 2022 08:38 AM

If legal action is taken to recover most part of the looted money, the country won't need to suffer. US$ 2.9b spread over 48months with all conditions attached, is too little to pull Sri Lanka out of this mess. Even with India giving so much more within a short time, as a nation, what do we have to show?

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EMZO Monday, 05 September 2022 08:48 AM

Yes, it's a must Sir. who knows what it contains? Ranil can play a dirty game selling our assets and destroy our country further than Gota.

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Roxton Shockman Monday, 05 September 2022 08:50 AM

Ranil is a cunning arture, be careful Harsha he could play a double game and cover it up under the mat.

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Maharagma man Monday, 05 September 2022 12:44 PM

There is much in the IMF agreement which is not been made public. Government being unwilling to quickly show what the details could mean there contentious as of yet still hidden expectations in the agreement.

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Nilanthi Wickramasinha Monday, 05 September 2022 12:46 PM

This is another Sirasa media product who does not take any responsibility but only knows to complain and spread stories like a village gossip woman.If he was included in the IMF discussion team he would have not complained about anything.This is the person who said that a state bank was going to collapse and retracted his statement later.Harsha likes to make mountains out of molehills .Since we are a bankrupt nation we don’t have any bargaining power over anything so nothing would be different even if these gossipers were in power

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BuffaloaCitizen Monday, 05 September 2022 01:47 PM

Exactly. But still we need to know the details of this agreement because it will also detail those locations that have been notoriously looted, corrupt and robbed. Why these Politicians do not want to divulge details of this agreement is due to this.

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Loges Monday, 05 September 2022 02:51 PM

Sri Lanka Leader needs good begging skills. Ranil is experienced in begging as he was a six-time Priminster. Well Done Ranil Sir. You saved millions of people from starvation. Please make arrangements to find another lender Not China, I was a former government Servant with NHDA. and we knew how he wasted a loan from ADB. You cannot straighten the tail of the dog.

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Steve B Monday, 05 September 2022 03:08 PM

To all passive commentators, we are in this mess as a result of people responsible not doing their part diligently and what is reasonably expected. Its equally important to get together and save this country and put all morons behind bars so this doesn't get repeated. If you have kids who are are decently educated they will know that not doing what is expected is a punishable offence and to understand this one does not need a PHD

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