Opposition scuttles Rs. 367 bn Vote on Account budget
Defaulted payments of former government cannot be met
The Vote on Account to make additional budgetary provisions of Rs. 367 billion for delayed payments due to several essential services was not passed in Parliament yesterday, Development Banks and Loan Schemes State Minister Shehan Semasinghe told the Daily News yesterday. This was due to the Opposition not supporting it, he said.
The State Minister stressed that this Rs. 376 billion was not to be utilized for 2020 expenditure but was needed to settle several defaulted payments made by the previous government.
This includes payments for hospital suppliers of drugs and other utilities totalling Rs. 25,696 mn, Fertilizer subsidy payment of Rs 23,950 mn and the interest component for senior citizens amounting to Rs.45,856 mn among other bills to be paid.
The Minister said that the Opposition was trying to paint a picture that these payments were needed to cushion out the tax reductions or 2020 expenditure of the new government.
“This is totally wrong. Why the government is seeking this money is to settle large sums of unorthodox payments for unproductive projects approved by the previous government.”
He said that some contractors who were supporters of the UNP and JVP were handpicked and offered contracts by the previous government. “And by not cooperating to pass this account the UNP is depriving payments due for their own supporters.” Semasinghe also said Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has on many occasions said that they would support and any bill that is ‘timely’ but he has now gone back on his word.
However the Minister assured that there would not be any financial break down due to this and appropriate steps would be taken soon.
House receives report on National Evaluation Capacity
The report of the Parliamentary Select Committee to study and report to Parliament its recommendation to ensure National Evaluation Capacity in Sri Lanka was presented to the House by the Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri yesterday (20).
Chairman Kumarasiri said the select committee has already prepared a bill on national evaluation capacity, with local and foreign experts.
Kumarasiri said the Committee has proposed to strengthen the parliamentary research division, so that parliamentarians will have easy access to the latest research findings. On February 24, Parliament under the patronage of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government universities to strengthen the Parliamentary research division.
Mangala criticises government’s debt management
Former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera was critical of the government’s debt management approach at a UNP press conference held in the Parliament premises yesterday. Samaraweera alleged that the government was not seeking approval to increase the debt ceiling to pay back unpaid bills by the previous administration but to cover their gross economic mismanagement in the last 100 days.
The government said it wanted to present an amendment to the Vote on Account 2020 seeking parliamentary approval for increasing the debt ceiling and to make additional budgetary provisions of Rs. 367 billion to settle bills of projects implemented by various ministries under the previous government. However, they did not go ahead after the Opposition refused to increase the debt ceiling.
Samaraweera said the government accuses him of not being able to collect the expected revenue, Rs. 2.4 trillion.” Yes, there is a drop. I expected to collect Rs. 2.4 trillion but by December, only Rs. 1.8 trillion was collected. That is a Rs. 600 billion difference. I would say we lost between Rs. 300 and 350 because of the Easter Sunday attacks,” Mangala said.
Co-sponsoring of 2015 UNHRC Resolution People decry UNP’s historic betrayal - Dinesh
It was the wish of the people to withdraw the historic betrayal committed by the Yahapalana Government led by the UNP in co-sponsoring UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 in 2015, said Foreign Relations and Skills Development, Employment and Labour Relations Minister and Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena.
He also said that all the concocted stories by the UNP against this government were defeated and rejected by the people at the last Presidential election with 6.9 million votes. Minister Gunawardena said that it was futile for Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to utter the same old fictitious stories in his quest to mislead the people.
He made these observations in reply to Opposition Leader Premadasa’s response to Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s ministerial statement that the government withdrew co-sponsoring UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 as agreed by the Yahapalanaya Government in 2015.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in his response said the matters pertaining to alleged human rights violations could have been solved within the country. He added but the matter was internationalized following the Sri Lankan government’s joint statement with then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on May 23, 2009. He added that the country defeated LTTE terrorism on May 18, 2009 and after five days, the government made this joint statement.
He added that in the statement, the government agreed to address the grievances as then UNSG Moon underlined the importance of an accountability process to address the violations of International Human Rights Law. He added that it was the initiation of all the issues.
However, Minister Gunawardena objected to debating the statement that he made on behalf of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to inform about the government’s decision to the Legislature. He objected when former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera rose to his feet to speak on the matter.
Minister Gunawardena demanded Speaker Karu Jayasuriya not to maintain two standards on different occasions by allowing to allow the debate to be taken up at this juncture.The Speaker said as Samaraweera was the former Foreign Minister, he would be allowed to explain. Opposition Member Mangala Samaraweera said that he was the Foreign Minister at the time when the resolution in co-sponsoring UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 was moved.
He said that the same resolution prevented then President Mahinda Rajapaksa from being taken to the electric chair.
Opposition MP Sarath Fonseka said that the LTTE was defeated on May 19, 2009. Then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon came to Sri Lanka on May 23 on the invitation of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
CC approves appointing Rajakaruna as CA judge
The Constitutional Council (CC) yesterday (20) approved the President’s nomination, Senior Deputy Solicitor General R. M. Sobhitha Rajakaruna, as a Court of Appeal Judge.
The post fell vacant since the appointment of Court of Appeal Judge A. H. M. D. Nawaz as the Court of Appeal President.
The CC also recommended the nomination of Leelasena Liyanagama to the vacant post as a Member of the National Procurement Commission.
The President’s nomination to appoint Sanjeeva Jayawardena (PC) as a Member of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank (CBSL) was also approved.
The CC Meeting was conducted under the Chairmanship of Speaker Karu Jayasuriaya. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, State Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, MPs R. Sampanthan, Thalatha Atukorale, Bimal Rathnayake and Jayantha Dhanapala and Javid Yusuf were participated in the meeting.
Discrepancies in awarding SLC international broadcasting rights
COPE asks for CID investigation
Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) yesterday decided to request the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to carry out an investigation into discrepancies in the awarding of international broadcasting rights by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
The SLC was asked to produce its treasurer’s approval that was granted for some overseas fund transfers. However, SLC officials said treasurer’s approval was not needed as two directors have approved the transfers. The Auditor General, who was present at the inquiry, disagreed and told the SLC to produce proper documentation. It was revealed that the SLC has maintained some accounts in several overseas banks including in the USA and Australia. However, the SLC officials said that some of these accounts have been opened and maintained during a competent authority was running the SLC. It was revealed that some accounts were not authorised by the SLC.
“The issue here is that none is there who could take responsibility for opening and maintaining accounts,” Handunetti said.
It was further revealed that some individuals have corresponded on behalf of SLC by maintaining online domains. COPE member Harsha de Silva questioned the SLC over these matters and said that there had been one network where various persons have used the SLC to engage in various activities.”
I am not accusing any individual of this, but I just want to highlight that directors of SriLankan, too, give the same excuse saying they were not in the board when corruption took place,” he said.
Handunetti revealed that the COPE would come up with a special report on cricket aid. It was also disclosed that former Sri Lankan Coach Chandika Hathrusinghe had filed a complaint with an international arbitration body in Switzerland. The SLC informed the COPE that a legal agreement with Hathrusinghe has been reached.
Opposition passes adjournment motion over Airbus deal
The Opposition yesterday moved an adjournment motion on irregularities relating to Airbus deal of the SriLankan Airlines. The adjournment motion was moved by United National Party (UNP) MP Nalin Bandara.
MP Bandara said that those who are involved in corruption should be brought to justice despite their political affiliations. “This government, which was brought to power by the learned and the professionals, should be given room to show the correct path for them. I am not saying that we had no corruption during our office. So arrest them as well,” he added.
State Minister of Ports Development Affairs Kanaka Herath said that it is unfair for the politicians if they are held responsible for all the corruptions that had taken place at the SriLankan.
“While the governments and ministers change, the officers of the SriLankan have remained for years and years. As we know, many such officers who are involved in corruption are at the airlines. It is, therefore, important to inquire into the conduct of these officers as well. When the Yahapalana government came into power, they promised to look into the corruptions at SriLankan airlines. However, the UNP government with its head Ranil Wickremesinghe wanted to sell the airline off. They never attempted to make the airline profitable,” Herath said.
Add new comment