News
Opposition leader blames govt. MPs for lavish cruise party amidst economic crisis
By saman indrajith
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa and Chief Government Whip Housing Minister Prasanna Ranatunga had a heated argument yesterday with the former revealing that 50 government MPs had had a cruise party while children were fainting in schools due to hunger.
Premadasa said that while people were starving and undergoing tremendous hardships, 50 MPs and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had partied onboard two dredgers namely Hansakawa and Diya Kovula. The Ports Authority had borne cost of the party, he said. Arrangements had been made by Ports State Minister Premalal Jayasekera. “How could you waste public money in this manner?” Premadasa queried.
“I can provide pictures of the party,” he said.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said Premadasa was wasting Parliament time.
“We do not mind, even if you party 24 hours a day and 365 days a year with your own money. This is public money. This is a crime when the country is bankrupt, and children faint in their schools without food. This is a matter concerning the national economy,” Premadasa said.
Chief Government Whip Minister Ranatunga said that the Opposition leader should be more responsible when raising questions in parliament. Ranatunga said that it was the former President who helped Premadasa’s sister to get away when she was caught with counterfeit currency notes. That too affected the national economy. It was your father who gave weapons and money to the LTTE. If you stoop down to low levels, we too have things to say,” Ranatunga said.
Opposition Leader Premadasa: There is no need to ask anyone of how the funds were given to the LTTE. Ask your own Public Security Minister Tiran Alles how the money was given to the LTTE. Neither my sister nor any of my family members was caught with dud money. I am also ready to talk about you. I was speaking of how you people partied when the country was bankrupt.
Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 22.07.2024 to publish the draft bill of State Assets Management Act in the government gazette notification and thereby present it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
However, the draft bill couldn’t be passed in Parliament as a result of the Parliament being dissolved in the month of October 2024.
Thereafter, the draft bill was subject to further inspection by a
committee appointed which comprised of officials and authorities on the subject.
The said Committee has recognized the amendments to be made and a fundamental draft has been prepared including the proposed amendments.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to suspend further activities regarding the draft bill of State Assets Management Act published in the extraordinary gazette of 02.08.2024, and to direct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill based on the fundamental draft prepared by the subject specialists’ committee.
Considering the compliance of the Cooperative Societies’ operations with the concurrent socio – economic circumstances as well as the changes in the common law, the requirement of amending the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 of 1972 has been recognized.
A fundamental draft including proposed amendments based on the experience gained by that Commission as well as the opinions and proposals of Cooperative societies, their director board members, cooperative employees and other interested parties has been prepared.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative development to provide instructions to the Legal draftsman to prepare a draft bill to amend the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 0f 1972, based on the said fundamental draft.
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