Sri Lanka It's Happening

December 8, 2005

It's blessed to be poor or lazy in Sri Lanka. Just weeks ago, the government presented it's budget in parliament for the next year. It was full of hand out
which has been the norm for the last 20 years.

Apparently there former finanance minister didn't go far enough in his attempt to empty the treasury, the president elect, Mahinda is presenting a new budget even as this post is being typed.

One of his election promises was fertilizer at an absurd price of Rs 350 per bag. Since we do not manufacture urea fertilizer in Sri Lanka all of it is being imported. Thus the president who was voted to power mostly by the extremist nationalist buddhists is about to hand over a large subsidy to multinational companies. The president's bosom buddies the JVP rarely make a statement without a broadside at multinational companies.

Apparently lazy people who are not too keen to work hard to buy a plot of land are to be granted land to build houses. Goverment servants (who hardly do any work) are to be given houses. All this means the demand for land and houses will shoot up making it even harder for those who work hard for the living to move into their own house.

As the speech progresses, we are sure to hear about more and more handouts. Where does the money come for all this? increase taxation is one. The second is world bank funding. The JVP promised to 'pull the plug' on the world bank about two years back. They didn't. The world bank might soon pull the plug on sri lank a.

Posted by raditha at December 8, 2005 2:25 PM