Govt. finally admits its bankruptcy – Harsha

April 19, 2013, 12:00 pm 

UNP National List MP and economist Harsha de Silva yesterday said that the government had finally been compelled to publicly admit its inability to manage the economy.

The MP was responding to a query by The Island on whether austerity measures were required, in the wake of UPFA spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s declaration that no government could continue to subsidise utility services forever.

Dr. de Silva said: "Minister Rambukwella has made public the real economic thinking of the neo-liberal Rajapaksa regime. The veil of deception that this Government put on, that it is interested in the welfare of the people, has finally been removed. However, if the Government is in such bad shape that the electricity tariffs of even the very poor has to be increased by more than fifty per cent, then the time has certainly arrived for broad based austerity measures."

The MP said that the UPFA regime’s powerful billionaire politicians and high officials who enjoyed enormous perks and privileges should have made personal sacrifices before they yanked the subsidies of the poor in this heartless move.  

Asked whether the main Opposition UNP was ready to lead a campaign to pressure the government to provide relief to the masses, the MP said that the opposition stood to make sacrifices in solidarity with the people. (SF)