22 October 2014 10:36 am
The main opposition UNP today revealed that through the forthcoming Budget, which is to be presented in Parliament on Friday (25), the government is reportedly expected to increase the salaries of public servants by Rs. 5000.
Addressing a media conference in Colombo, Party Assistant Leader Ravi Karunanayake said the government is going to give more concessions to the public through the forthcoming budget, targeting the Presidential election.
Mr. Karunanayake said a future UNP Government would increase the salaries of public servants by Rs.10,000 in contrast to the salary increment of Rs.5000 which the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government is expected offer in the October 24 Budget; a Rs.2,500 increment for pensioners, reduction on the price of petrol by Rs.50 a litre and diesel by Rs.15 a litre so as to bring down transport fares by 20 per cent.
“The UNP will give farmers a guaranteed price of Rs.50 a kilo for paddy, Rs.80 a kilo for potatoes and onions and allocate six per cent of the GDP for higher education and 4.5 per cent for general education,” he said.
Mr. Karunanayake said all these concessions would be given by reducing unwanted expenses spent on Mihin Lanka, SriLankan airlines and by bringing down
Also Mr. Karunanayake said a future UNP government would bring down interest rates by 2 per cent.
“Our policy is to come up with realistic concessions unlike this government which puts Rs.100 into one pocket and takes away Rs.1,000 from the other,” he said adding that Friday’s Budget would be election oriented with a host of unrealistic concessions. (Yohan Perera and Sanath Desmond)