SLPP MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage yesterday said that the economy of the country is at an optimistic level at present and it is the desire of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to destabilise it. Earlier also the JVP had tried to destabilise the country on several occasions in the hope of political gains.
He stated that it is reasonable to increase salaries by certain amounts even though strikes due to the existing high cost of living, but the Government has already requested all these parties to wait until the upcoming Budget to take such a step.
However, he said, various parties are engaged in strikes without paying attention to such a request and it is clear that their attempt is to destabilise the country by paralysing the public sector.
The MP also requested all strikers to elect NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the next President and take steps to increase the salaries if possible.
He said that nearly 500,000 public servants are involved in the strikes going on yesterday and today, and it is obvious that the JVP is behind these strikes and their only intention is to destabilise the country.
Aluthgamage emphasised that if a salary increase of Rs. 20,000 is given to public servants as requested by several trade unions that are on strike now, the Treasury will have to bear an additional cost of Rs. 400 billion per year.
He said there are 1.6 million public servants, but the Treasury does not have the ability to allocate such a large amount and even if the amount is allocated, the alternative is to print money, raise taxes or borrow, he said.
He further pointed out that at this time it is not possible to print or borrow money. However, if the requests of public servants are to be fulfilled, the VAT will have to be increased by two percent.
