SJB irked by Rajapaksas’ allocations

By Saman Indrajith

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya on Thursday (27) told Parliament that 38 per cent of total allocations made in the Vote on Account presented to the House yesterday had been allocated for ministries coming under four members of the Rajapaksa family.

SJB Gampaha District MP Harshana Rajakaruna participating in the debate said that 38 percent of Vote on Account monies had been allocated to ministerial portfolios held by four persons.

Rajakaruna asked why the government had mentioned that it would borrow another Rs. 750 billion in addition to earlier requested Rs. 1,300 billion worth of debt.

“This is a huge amount of debt which we never saw in the past. I hope that the government would make a clarification regarding why it is going to borrow Rs. 750 billion,” he added.

Rajakaruna asked the government whether it would give some kind of compensation to the people who had lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak many factories had to be shut down and many people lost their jobs. The government should take care of them too. It is a timely need. The businessmen should be given relief while protecting the bank system in the country at the same time,” Rajakaruna said.