Every Sri Lankan Owes Rs 360,000 As Public Debt Soars: Eran

November 26, 2013 

Sri Lanka’s public debt has increased dramatically under the ruling Rajapaksa regime and every citizen is now in debt to the tune of Rs. 360,000 (USD 2769), says United National Party MP Eran Wickremaratne.

Eran Wickramaratne MP

The figure was confirmed by Deputy Minister of Finance Sarath Amunugama who said that the debt of every citizen had crossed the Rs. 300,000 mark.

Joining the debate on the Government’s Budget for 2014 Wickremaratne said that Sri Lanka was in debt to the tune of Rs. 6.63 Trillion (USD 51 Billion). “During the UNP regime the national debt stood at Rs. 1.86 Trillion,” Wickremaratne said.

All this while 2 percent of Sri Lankans are living on less than USD 2 a day, he said.

Wickremaratne said that the Government was imposing 80 percent of its taxes as indirect taxation on the citizens, while only 20 percent of taxes were being extracted directly, meaning the citizen had no idea how much of a percentage of the price of goods and services were being taken from them as taxes.

Mangala Files Action Against Kili Maharaja But Not Tiran Alles

November 26, 2013

Notice was issued on Sirasa Network Chairman R. Rajamahendran (also known as RR and ‘Kili’ Rajamahendran) to appear before the Matara Additional Magistrate’s Court after UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera filed a criminal case against him accusing the channel of inciting a witch-hunt against his supporters using his broadcasting network.

Rajamahendran

Samaraweera has filed action against Sirasa and its Chairman for telecasting news and views and that violate the peace. The UNP MP has accused the Sirasa Network of repeatedly promoting the protest march against Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership of the party on 5 October, leading to violent clashes on the streets of Matara on that day.

He has accused Rajamahendaran and his network of the malicious and unethical abuse of the media aimed at dividing the UNP.

The famously reclusive Chairman of the Capital Maharaja Group has been ordered to appear in Court on December 11.

Questions are however emerging at Sirasa Network as to why Samaraweera has not cited Ceylon Today and Mawbima proprietor Tiran Alles as a respondent in the case.

Sirasa and Mawbima and Ceylon Today have often published deeply prejudicial news about the UNP, its leadership and members loyal to the leadership in tandem.

Samaraweera has a history with Alles, having formed the SLFP Mahajana wing with the businessman after they quit the Rajapaksa Government. Alles was appointed Chairman of Airports and Aviation by President Mahinda Rajapaksa after he became President in 2005, but he was introduced to SLFP politics by Samaraweera.