The government’s wasteful spending

Monday, 24 June 2013 

The government has purchased vehicles to the cost of Rs. 371,110,000 in the month of May.

Also, the Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry has spent an additional sum of Rs. 125,000,000 for the 2013 Deyata Kirula exhibition.

Interestingly, the additional monies have been spent by the Ministry since the funds allocated from the budget was not sufficient.

The government continues to engage in wasteful spending in this manner even when the state debt and interest payments are on a steady increase.

Govt. decision against liquor, casino licences most welcome

June 23, 2013, 8:35 pm 

I thank the president for his assurance that there will be no new licences issued for casinos in Sri Lanka at a meeting of news paper editors in temple trees recently. Casino was brought to Sri Lanka by the UNP Government in the 1980s and I remember Joe Sim was the Casino kingpin at that time. He has also told the media heads at a meeting that no liquor licences will be issued during his tenure.

Casinos may help rake in revenue for the government and even promote tourism but it is harmful to the culture of Sri Lanka which is a Buddhist country and therefore no licences should be granted for them. It is also imperative to close down all the liquor shops/bars in our country since 60% Sri Lankans consume liquor. I very often see people pushing and shoving at liquor outlets before Poya Days in a mad scramble to replenish their stocks as the sale of liquor is prohibited during days of religious significance.

I urge the Buddhists clergy or the Bodu Bala Sena to commence a campaign to discourage the people from consuming liquor and consuming meat without engaging in activities of causing communal disharmony and arousing racial feelings among the peace loving people of Sri Lanka.

Confining the existing casinos confined to a special zone to be created for that purpose may be considered a way out.

Z. A .M. Shukoor