JVP MP Vijitha Herath told Parliament yesterday that the fuel prices would be increased again, soon.

The MP said that the economic mismanagement of the government had resulted in a crisis situation.

“Plantations Minister said that he hoped to develop tea cultivation and earn USD 500 million profit for the country. The question is whether the prevailing realities would permit the achievement of such objectives. Tea cultivators are facing unprecedented problems because they do not have fertiliser. The government failed to make available quality fertiliser. Tea production has decreased continuously as there is no fertiliser. From a cultivation where 500 kilos of tea leaves were plucked in the past, only around 200-300 kilos can be plucked at present. Tea cultivators in person forwarded their grievances to the President recently. You may have lofty aims and estimates but the reality is that the tea industry which fetched the highest amount of dollars as an agriculture product is in death throes now. Tea cultivators are facing a crisis. Some have started moving out of the industry. The situation in the rubber industry is quite the same. The government distribute rubber and cinnamon saplings from time to time according to a list given by the MPs of the government. Only those who have their names on the MP’s list benefit from this scheme.

“The Plantations Minister said a few minutes ago in this House that the government gave Rs 1,000 allowance to plantation workers. The reality is that not even the workers in state-managed plantations get that allowance. That the private plantation owners do not receive the allowance goes without saying. Will the private plantation owners pay their workers when the government is not paying theirs? The government is duty bound to implement its policy decision of giving that allowance to plantation workers. Since the government promised this allowance two years back, prices of sugar, dhal, flour and rice have increased. The plantation workers cannot even consume dhal and roti with that allowance. That allowance should be doubled.

We remember how the Minister of Agriculture vowed in this House that not a single grain of rice would be imported. He said that he would resign from the post if at least a single grain of rice was imported. For the past three months, 350 million kilos of rice have been imported. Today, rice imports have started but the Minister stays put. Rice imports have badly impacted the small and medium scale rice mill owners.

“The biggest problem in the country is the shortage of fuel. There are queues outside filling station. Without fuel there are power cuts. From this evening, there are going to be two-hour power cuts. There has been a fuel ship at the Colombo Port for the past three days but it cannot unload its cargo as bills have not been settled. Within a couple of days, the fuel prices will have to go up again.