JVP mocks Ranil’s solution: taxing people to penury, selling national assets and taking more loans

By H.M. Samarakoon

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s solution to the economic crisis was taxing the people to penury, selling national assets and taking loans, General Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tilvin Silva said addressing a meeting at Haliela.

Silva said that only a powerful people’s movement backed by a strong plan could rescue Sri Lanka from the current predicament.

“A lot of people are joining the Jathika Jana Balavegaya (JJB). People realise that we need to create a new economy and a society. No one should assume that President Wickremesinghe is capable of digging the country out of this mess. Ranil was not elected by the people and he has shown that he is not with the people. He was elected by 134 MPs who support the Rajapaksas,” Silva said.

President Wickremesinghe, after assuming duties, said that Sri Lanka had followed the wrong path since independence. He insisted that he would make a change in how things were done,Silva said.

“However there is nothing new in Budge 2023. When we analyse the budget, we can see it’s built on three pillars. They are taxation, selling national assets and taking loans. The budget deficit is close to five trillion. The government plans to take loans worth 4.97 trillion. Who will lend us money? Most of the things in that budget won’t see the light of day,” he said.

Former MP Samantha Widyarathne, who also addressed the meeting, said that President Wickremesinghe had visited Badulla recently and met farmers and officials.

“When farmers and officials said that the farmers needed immediate assistance, the President said that the government didn’t have money. This is his approach to things. He has no solutions to real issues,” he said.