JVP Leader nails govt. on ETF, EPF balances

By Saman Indrajith

The government was deliberately withholding information about the EPF and ETF from the MPs, National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament on Friday (06).

Earlier, State Minister of Finance, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya had asked for two weeks to answer a question by SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga on the interests paid to EPF beneficiaries in 2022. Siyambalapitiya had earlier asked for two months to answer the question.

“The annual reports of the EPF and ETF have not been submitted for the past two years. The working people have the right to know how their funds are being managed. The only way for people to know this is when the annual report is submitted.

For 2021 and 2022, these reports are not out,” he said.

Dissanayake said that if the government had presented the reports, MP Cumaratunga would have had no reason to raise that question. Siyambalapitiya could obtain the answer to Cumaratunga’s question from the Central Bank, the NPP leader said.

“This is not Ranil Wickremesinghe’s, Siyambalapitiya’s or Shehan Semasinghe’s fund. These are people’s money. The government subjected the pension funds to Domestic Debt Restructuring. Are you telling us that the government did this without knowing the interest paid to EPF beneficiaries in 2022?” Dissanayake asked.

Siyambalapitiya said he would answer the question within two weeks.The presiding MP then suspended sittings for 10 minutes.