SJB slams maiden NPP Budget as copy of previous govt.’s programme

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB yesterday said the JVP/NPP’s maiden Budget was a mere continuation of the previous government’s economic programme.

SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, asked to comment on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Budget speech, said that he did not say that the programme was wrong but that raised serious concerns about the government’s ideological stance.

“The JVP and NPP will have ideological questions to answer. What was discussed here was a neoliberal programme. They opposed such policies for 40 years but now they have accepted them.”

“We saw no difference between this Budget and the previous one,” Dr. de Silva said.

“If they now support establishing a holding company for state-owned enterprises or agree to the fuel and power pricing formulas, we must ask why they opposed them before.” The SJB MP said adding that the country could have progressed much earlier, if it wasn’t for their opposition.

“But if they now embrace a social market economy; we welcome that, and we see it as a victory,” he said.

Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa said that the Budget 2025 had been prepared following the advice of the IMF.

Premadasa said the government should amend the Budget at least during the Budget debate.

“It is not late for the government to amend the Budget and we expect such a scenario will take place during the Budget debate,” Premadasa told the media.