News
Promises made in January Budget only partly fulfilled, say farmers, pensioners
- No guaranteed price for paddy, pensioners’ travel costs not reimbursed
- Gas price reduction only election gimmick, say critics
The Government last week brought down the price of liquid petroleum gas by Rs. 100 — a concession enjoyed by consumers twice over since the United National Party-led government came to power on January 8. Last January the Government brought down the price of gas by Rs. 300 in its January 29 Budget. Accordingly a 12.5 kg of LPG cylinder cost Rs. 1,496 compared to Rs. 1,641 for the same cylinder before the change of government.
While Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told the media that he was only passing on the price reduction in the world market, critics argued that it is an election gimmick to win votes. The Government also passed a circular on the eve of the dissolution of Parliament, increasing the pension entitlements of all pensioners who retired before January 2006 up to Rs.10,000.
However, many of the budgetary promises to senior citizens and farmers are yet to be fulfilled.
Farmers in Embilipitiya and Anuradhapura complained that the promise of 50 per cent of their agriculture loans obtained from banks being written off was yet to be fulfilled. All Island Peasant Union Convenor Namal Karunaratne said the farmers had not received the waiver and that those whose harvest was destroyed due to the prolonged drought in 2014 were struggling to pay up their loans.
Additionally, he said that the farmers were also not being paid the promised price for their paddy. He said the Government had promised to buy paddy at Rs. 50 for a kilo of samba but this was not happening.
“The farmers buy paddy seed at Rs. 33.29 a kilo and sell the paddy at Rs.22 a kilo to the market which is a loss, he complained.
The pensioners on the other hand complained that the 50 per cent concession on their travelling costs has not been granted. Six months after the budget announcement senior citizens are still paying the full fare on public transport.
National Transport Commission head Prof. Amal Kumarage said the NTC is working on the proposal and senior citizens could enjoy this concession by the end of the year. Additionally, it is learnt that those who pawned their jewellery were not compensated when they went to the banks seeking the privilege. They were informed that only jewellery in the ‘non performing category’ had this facility.
According to the budgetary promise, interest on gold jewellery pawned in State banks for not exceeding Rs.200,000 was to be waived. However, the clients were told that only those items that had been with the banks for 15 months or more and were ready to be auctioned by the bank would be given this concession.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Finance said it was updating the budgetary proposals and monitoring its implementation. Dharshana Senanayake, Director General in charge of Project Management and Monitoring, said the State banks had already been directed to grant the concession to the farmers. “We have already informed the banks to grant the 50 per cent reduction on the loans,” she said.
With regard to the Rs. 2500 salary increase for private sector employees she said that it was only a request and that many companies have heeded to the request. “We do remind them at chamber meetings,” she said.