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Opposition vows to fight domestic debt restructuring plans of govt
ECONOMYNEXT –The main opposition SJB would fight to defeat the government’s plans to restructure domestic debt, opposition leader Sajith Premadas said, offering the opposition’s assistance in sending a strong message to the international community.
Premadasa said at a meeting with representatives of the Ceylon Bank Employees’ Union on Thursday May 18 that the opposition is ready to tell the international community to not touch Sri Lanka’s domestic debt.
“We will fight both in and outside parliament and internationally the government’s attempt to restructure domestic debt,” Premadasa said.
The opposition leader claimed the government has changed its position on domestic debt restructuring (DDR). The government had maintained in March that there would be no restructuring of domestic debt, only to sing a different tune after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme was approved.
“In March, not even the president said domestic debt would be restructured,” he said.
“They’re now saying they have to do it. Why did you keep hoodwinking the people?” he asked, adding that DDR was first on the agenda.
“You can’t dance to your own tune, nor can you make the people dance,” said Premadasa. However, the SJB is ready to assist the government in reversing the decision.
“If the government wishes to, even at this last moment, send a message to the international community, with assistance from the opposition, to not touch domestic debt, we’re ready to work together with the government to communicate this to the international community,” said Premadasa.
A top IMF official told reporters on Monday May 15 that the international lender is in constant dialog with Sri Lanka over its DDR plans. The IMF defines a macro framework, ceilings on gross financing needs (annual debt volumes that are issued and re-issued), foreign debt service, and debt stocks on a timeline for a defaulted country to make its debt ‘sustainable’.
In April, President Ranil Wickermesinghe was reported to have told the cabinet of ministers hat a debt restructuring framework to negotiate with creditors would be announced by May.In parallel, discussions will also commence with private creditors. Sri Lanka met private creditors in Washington in April.
Sri Lanka also has to restructure its domestic debt to meet gross financing need (annual financing and debt roll-over totals) ceilings from 2027-2032 to make its debt ‘sustainable’ according to an IMF debt analysis.The central bank has said domestic debt restructuring will be voluntary, but fresh jitters hit the market last week triggering a rise in bond yields.
Several countries which were hit by monetary instability from flexible inflation targeting and flexible exchange rates or similar impossible trinity regimes, which had market access had defaulted in recent years and more are on the brink of default.
External sovereign defaults started in the early 1980s with similar policies in Latin America, which has among the worst central banks in the world and some Eastern European nations.
The Pakistan Naval Ship (PNS) Shahjahan which arrived in Colombo on 02nd June 2023 on a two-day official visit, departed the island on 04th June 2023.
By Priyan de Silva
The Election Commission (ECSL) has opposed a move by the government to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor local government institutions.
ECSL Chairman Nimal G. Punchihewa told The Island that the government had informed the ECSL of its plan to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor the local government bodies and the ECSL had decided to write to the Ministry of Local Government opposing the move, he said. A Chairman of a regional development committee ESD a representative of a particular political party and it would be unfair by other parties for such appointments to be made, the EC Chairman said.
Punchihewa said that the administration of local government institutions could be done through Municipal Commissioners and Divisional Secretaries.Many political parties had complained against the government move, he said.
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP would file a fresh application before the Supreme Court against the government for not holding the local council polls, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said yesterday.Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, Herath said that his party had ascertained fresh information by invoking the Right to Information Act about the funds needed for the holding of the elections and his party would file another fundamental rights case against those responsible for conducting elections.
“The LG polls were to be held on 09 March. They were postponed until 25 April, and later they were put off indefinitely. The President appoints Governors to the provinces and the local councils are under them. Now, he says no party commands the support of 50 percent of voters.
Is this reason why he is not holding elections? His claim that there are no funds for elections is not acceptable. The Election Commission (EC) has, in a letter to the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, asked for Rs 1,100 million in installments for conducting local government elections. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, on 07 March, informed
the EC that the latter’s request had been referred to the Minister of Finance on the same day. But so far the money has not been released. As per a report released by the Treasury, the government revenue was Rs 177,900 million in January this year alone. Of that amount, Rs 156,760 was allocated to government institutions. The Treasury has Rs 21,410 million. In February, the government revenue was at Rs. 271,750 million and of that Rs. 208,620 million was spent. The balance was Rs 63,130 million. In January and February, the Treasury had Rs 84,270 million. These figures have been officially confirmed by a Deputy Treasury Secretary. The EC is seeking only Rs 2,460 million for elections. So, the claim that there is no money for elections is false as per official records. We will submit this information to the Supreme Court when we file a fresh application. We will prove that the government has lied to people,” Herath said.
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