News

Sagala should be questioned about bribing wheat flour companies: Anura

Published

2 months ago

July 20, 2023

editor

Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited and Serendib Flour Mills (Pvt) Ltd, which funds the election campaign of some political parties, have set up a wheat flour monopoly in Sri Lanka and the people have to buy flour at steep prices so the companies can raise money for election campaigns, National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Parliament yesterday (19).

He said the President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake is the mediator of this process and that he should be questioned in this regard.

The MP said this while posing questions to the government under Standing Order 27/2 about the problematic situation faced by the bakery industry and the consumers due to the move to allow two companies to create a wheat flour monopoly.

“Today, about 6,000 bakeries operate all over the country providing a livelihood to about 500,000 people. Apart from rice, which is the main staple, wheat flour is the main ingredient of many types of food consumed by most of the people,”

“In spite of this situation, the government has banned the import of wheat flour without import licenses by the extraordinary gazette issued on 14.06.2023 and by the letter of 2023.06.16 of the Import Controller. So far no such licenses have been issued. Accordingly, two multinational companies–Prima and Serendib–have monopolized the industry.”

“However, comparing the price of wheat flour in the world market, it is revealed that these companies are making high profits in the sale of flour during the government’s wheat flour import ban. For example, when importing wheat flour from Türkiye to Sri Lanka, the price of one kilogram of flour at the port is only Rs.110 but these companies have decided the price at Rs.210.”

“The price of flour is decreasing rapidly in the world market and the value of the US dollar has depreciated from 362 to 301. What should happen now? This advantage should be given to the consumers but what did the government do? What the government did was to issue a gazette notice on June 14 and stop issuing wheat flour import licenses. Then Serendib and Prima will have a monopoly. It is well known that these companies fund election activities of political movements. When the price of flour in the world market is decreasing and the value of the dollar is also depreciating, who gave this bribe to Prima and Serendib? Sagala Ratnayaka should be questioned. This is what they did. How did he get the power of the Ministry of Finance to decide on taxes? How can he make decisions? How can he make an influence?”

“When the price of flour is decreasing in the world market, and the value of the dollar is depreciating, the benefit has not been given to the consumers. Instead, the companies raise funds for election campaigns and activities of various political movements. These are the people who pumped money in every presidential election. Everyone knows what they are trying to do. Wheat flour is being given to consumers at a high price so the companies can raise the funds for the upcoming presidential election,” he said.

News

Samurdhi Dept. told to conduct survey to identify poverty-stricken families

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2023

editor

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis has instructed the Department of Samurdhi Development to conduct a quick survey to identify other poverty-stricken families who need to be empowered.

This was taken into discussion when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis met in Parliament on Sep. 19 chaired by MP Gamini Waleboda Member of Parliament.

Commenting further, the Member of Parliament stated to the officials of the Department of Samurdhi Development to appoint a Committee together with the Ministry of Finance, the Welfare Benefits Board and the Department of Census and Statistics to take the necessary measures.

The discussion was held with the aim of reviewing the goals of the Department of Samurdhi Development to reduce the impact of the economic crisis and the current plans to achieve those goals in the year 2024.

The officials of the Department of Samurdhi Development, who presented the facts, mentioned that at present there are more than sixteen hundred thousand Samurdhi beneficiary families. Accordingly, the department has planned to empower forty-one hundred thousand families in the two years from 2024 to 2026.

The Chair reminded the officials that the responsibility of empowering all families who are affected by the economic crisis and those who are not is entrusted to the Department of Samurdhi Development. The Committee also ordered the Department of Samurdhi Development to immediately prepare a plan to eradicate poverty within the next five years.

The Leader of the Opposition – Sajith Premadasa, addressing the Committee, pointed out the dire need to first establish technical definitions to identify poverty.

The Committee also discussed about the proposed number of new employees in the department, which has been presented in relation to the future plans of the Department of Samurdhi Development. The Committee Chair pointed out that the sacrifices made by the officers of the Department of Samurdhi Development Department during the Covid pandemic cannot be forgotten. The Chair instructed the officials of the Management Services Department to take into consideration the work done by them in the past while approving the proposed number of new employees. Accordingly, the Committee ordered the Management Services Department to come to a final decision about the proposed staff of the Samurdhi Development Department within two weeks and to approve it.

The Committee also discussed the people who have not yet received their pension due to the retired officials of the Samurdhi Development Department and the related reasons. The Chair asked the officials of the Department of Pensions to arrange for the payment of the basic pension to the employees who have not yet received their pension.

News

Inland Revenue Act to be amended

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2023

editor

The Cabinet has approved a proposal to amend the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017, the Government Information Department said.

It has been proposed that it is appropriate to amend the Inland Revenue tax to enable to request tax relief by any charity establishment that provides health facilities to children with disabilities in the society joined hands with government health services / education system and that is established as a legitimate institution prioritizing the well–being of the differently-abled children in society while being established as a legitimate institution or registered under any law enforced for registering social services organizations.

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the resolution prepared by the acting Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to direct the Legal Draftsman to draft a Bill to amend the Inland Revenue Act including legal provisions.

News

National Debt Management Institute to be established

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2023

editor

The Cabinet has granted approval to establish a National Debt Management Institute.

It has been emphasized in the supplementary Budget of 2022 the importance of the establishment of a State Loan Management Institute as an institutional reformation while enhancing loan management and transparency has been recognized as a prioritized sector even under the appropriation loan facility of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Government said that technical assistance has been rendered by the IMF and the World Bank in order to establish the proposed state loan management institute.

The loan management reformation plan, loan management institutional framework and legal framework have been planned by now.

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the resolution tabled by the acting Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to direct the Legal Draftsman to draft the Bill of the State Loan Management Act.