“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedara asked, “what is all this fuss about the rising cost of living?”
“Why,” Bindu’s father Percy inquired, “who is making a fuss about the cost of living?”
“Well,” Bindu said, “everyone seems to be complaining including one person in particular…”
“And who is that?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, thaaththa, our former Prime Minister…” Bindu recalled.
“And what is he saying?” Percy wondered.
“He is saying that with prices of essential items sky-rocketing, people are unhappy and blaming the government and that the government should take serious note of what they are saying…” Bindu pointed out.
“I suppose he is right,” Percy said, “but is he saying that because he has nothing else to do now?”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“Why, he has been appointed as one of those ‘senior ministers’, hasn’t he?” Percy inquired.
“Ah, yes,” Bindu said, “and he has said something about that too…”
“So, what has he said about that?” Percy demanded.
“Why,” Bindu explained, “he has pointed out that there are so many senior ministers without a proper office or proper staff and that they do not have proper responsibilities and they do not have any institutions to supervise either…”
“Isn’t he also one of them?” Percy wondered.
“Yes, he is,” Bindu said, “and what he seems to be saying is that all these so-called ‘senior ministers’ are wasting their time and the peoples’ money doing nothing…”
“So,” Percy asked, “what does he suggest?”
“I don’t think he has suggested anything as such,” Bindu said, “but what he seems to be saying is that ministers should either be appointed to do a proper job of work or not appointed at all…” Bindu declared.
“That is a reasonable suggestion,” Percy agreed, “but why is he so worried about it?”
“I think he is worried that the people might think the cost of living is increasing daily because the government is spending too much money on maintaining over a hundred ministers…” Bindu suggested.
“But, Bindu,” Percy asked, “is there really such an increase in the cost of living?”
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu was surprised, “isn’t everyone complaining about it?”
“Well,” Percy said, “I am not so sure about everyone complaining about it because as far as the Central Bank is concerned the rising cost of living is not that much of a problem…”
“How can they say that, thaaththa?” Bindu was surprised.
“Well, they say inflation last year was less than seven per cent…” Percy pointed out.
“When an item that was twelve rupees at the beginning of the year is sixteen rupees at the end of the year, is that seven per cent inflation thaaththa?” Bindu inquired.
“What item is that?” Percy asked.
“Why thaaththa, that would be the price of an egg…” Bindu observed.
“Well,” Percy conceded, “then of course the inflation rate would be over thirty per cent…”
“Then,” Bindu inquired, “when an item that was ninety rupees at the beginning of the year is one hundred and eighty rupees at the end of the year, is that seven per cent inflation thaaththa?”
“What item is that?” Percy inquired.
“Why, thaaththa, that would be the price of a kilo of onions…” Bindu remembered.
“Well,” Percy said, “then of course the inflation rate would be about two hundred per cent…”
“And when an item that was twenty rupees at the beginning of the year is fifty rupees at the end of the year, is that seven per cent inflation thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“What item is that?” Percy demanded.
“Why, thaaththa, that would be the price of a loaf of bread…” Bindu said.
“Well,” Percy calculated, “then of course the inflation rate would be about two hundred and fifty per cent…”
“And thaaththa,” Bindu inquired, “when an item that was twenty rupees at the beginning of the year is sixty rupees at the end of the year, is that seven per cent inflation?”
“What item is that?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, thaaththa, that would be the price of a coconut…” Bindu recalled.
“Well,” Percy said, “then of course the inflation rate would be about three hundred per cent…”
“And yet,” Bindu declared, “the Central Bank is telling us that inflation is only seven per cent …”
“I suppose,” Percy suggested, “calculating inflation is not as simple as calculating the increase in the prices of a few items, Bindu…”
“That may be so,” Bindu admitted, “but thaaththa, these are all essential items that everyone uses almost on a daily basis…”
“But I am sure the Central Bank must be having its own reasons to say that inflation is only seven per cent…” Percy argued.
“Then,” Bindu said, “I’m afraid an egg will be twenty rupees, a kilo of onions would be about three hundred and fifty rupees, a loaf of bread will be about a hundred and twenty five rupees and a coconut will be about one hundred and eighty rupees at the end of this year…”
“How can you say that, Bindu?” Percy asked, shocked.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “the Central Bank says that inflation this year will be about the same as last year…”
Percy didn’t quite know what to say to that.
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