Rajapaksa gets both bouquets and brickbats from people in 8 districts in pre-budget poll
View(s):President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the
government came in for both praise and criticism on a plethora of issues relating to spending, development and social values, an opinion poll by the Research Consultancy Bureau (RCB) has revealed. The results of the poll held, jointly with the Business Times, in the towns of eight districts are given in the graphical charts on this page. Here are
comments received from a cross section of the population including workers, students and others coming into town to use daily services:
Badulla
- The country’s budget has become (President Mahinda) Rajapaksa’s (rulers) personal document that fulfills their needs. It should be democratised and it should bring benefits to the country and the people.
- The last budget brought Lamborghinis to fill Namal (Rajapaksa)’s needs. Question is who will benefit from this year’s budget?
- Previous budgets have been presented by the government with far reaching pragmatic thinking for the common benefit and every one should be committed to support the government if it is developing the country.
- We will have to tighten our belts and be patient in the president’s efforts to develop the country. Everyone should understand the reality that the budget cannot provide many benefits such as Samurdhi to people like in the past and popular proposals at a time when the country is moving towards development.
- The budget is a mathematical gimmick, always burdening the people through indirect taxes while providing assistance like fertilizer subsidy.
- Why can’t the cost of living be reduced now that there are no war costs? The country is moving towards an abyss amidst the ever increasing corruption, waste and malpractices.
- The president and all politicians should take spending cuts in the budget. These savings could be used to provide relief for the people.
- The budget takes people for a ride using marketing theories and technical terminology.
Colombo
- We should be patient as patriotic citizens giving strength to (President) Rajapaksa’s government as it has completed a massive development work unprecedented in the history of this country.
- The government has failed to make any attempt through recent budgets to solve the ever increasing cost of living.
- Basic salary of government servants should be increased at least by 50 per cent as the present wage is insufficient to meet daily food expenses.
- The country’s cost of living and high price of goods could be reduced by working with determination and enthusiasm. There is no problem for the people who work with perseverance. It has only affected those who do nothing.
- There was no proper national policy on tax collection in the country. Stooges of the rulers are evading taxes.
- At least half the tax money is not used for development and that is why the budget has to introduce various strategies to increase revenue.
- Only the Gods know our future plight if we fail to gain expected results from massive development projects and have re-pay all the foreign debts.
- Development activities carried out by mortgaging the future of our children should not be meant to achieve petty political objectives.
- The people and politicians should join hands in unison on behalf of true development taking place in the country to defeat malicious allegations of international powers.
- This government which is suppressing the opposition and people’s powers cannot go on like this and it cannot survive for further three or four years.
Kandy
- Budgetary policies and all other decisions are aimed at the betterment and sustenance of the government, not the consumer or the voter.
- The government always presents a development budget for the common benefit. It will be continued in the future betterment of the country.
-The government always presents a pragmatic budget aimed at moving the country forward instead of a popular budget. People should be patient even in the face of economic difficulties.
- We have never seen a government such as this which is wasting public funds unnecessarily. Everyone from the top to the bottom of the government is wasting public funds right and left.
-The budget deficit should be bridged through earnings without increasing debts taken by mortgaging the country.
- The budget should be transformed to a true document without making it a document of popular politics.
Batticaloa
- The government is always misleading the people promising wage increases in a staggered manner through the budget.
-The budget is aimed at developing the government not for the love of the people. It allocates money for the development of the ruling party hierarchy, its ministers and MPs.
- Governments wasting tax money of the people are not people’s governments.
- Cheap goods are imported from China without giving a chance to new inventors or local industries.
- What is the income and expenditure methodology maintained in the budget in a country where the super luxury vehicles of government bosses are being released by Customs without import duty? Some leading businessmen aligned to the government are defaulting taxes under the cover of social services.
- Conducting opinion polls is big farce because the government which has no obligation to fulfill the needs of the people is preparing the budget in accordance with the needs of the World Bank.
- The rights of the Tamil people have been robbed by the government after taking over the eastern Provincial Council in a strategic manner.
Galle
- This government has present balanced budgets and they will repeat it once again.
- This budget will open avenues for corruption in the country.
- Obtaining foreign loans to bridge the deficit has become the latest fad in the country. It is great risk for the future.
- The country will become a colony of a foreign country again if we fail to manage our debt properly as we have become debtors to World Bank, and ADB and several foreign countries.
- Using government servants for politics by providing more state jobs to people with the aim of increasing the vote bank is a sad situation.
- The government is laying fertile ground for more thugs and prostitutes through casinos in the country.
- Tax money is used for government propaganda and its popularity. It is using foreign loans for unnecessary activities.
- Only the international community is condemning this government’s move towards a dictatorship as there is no opposition.
- The suggestion to levy a toll on vehicles entering Colombo is another way to increase the burden on the people.
- All government and Pradeshiya Sabha members are resorting to irresponsible acts giving false promises, taking advantage of the end of the war. These irresponsible actions will affect the government’s opularity.
Kurunegala
- A targeted programme should be devised to create industries and cultivations identical for the country using local resources in order to stop imports.
- Development schemes aimed at repaying loans properly should be directed towards profitability. The country needs a budget that will highlight strategies for true development removing policies aimed at mortgaging the country.
- Measures should be taken through the budget to reduce the brain drain.
- Politicians should take measures to protect our customs and values for future generations.
- The first past the poll system should be re-introduced halting preferential voting system and political ‘dansals’.
- A budget should be aimed at limiting the expenditure for the conduct of elections.
Anuradhapura
- It is essential to allocate money for the northern province carefully from the budget as the new chief minister who is asking for land and police powers to the province will demand more things.
- The budget should allocate money carefully as the government is spending lavishly for publicity and elections.
- Budget proposals are an eye-wash as the government is spending heavily through supplementary estimates.
- People are expecting a true budget with relief for the public.
- Loans and financial assistance should be obtained from foreign countries and the World Bank for new income generating projects halting the system of obtaining loans to meet basic needs.
- We have not seen a government such as this which is resorting to obtain massive loans and taking 40 per cent commission from development projects.
Ratnapura
- The Rajapaksa administration is presenting a budget which directs the country towards a development path fulfilling aspirations of the people.
- A balanced budget is essential for the country and should not be aimed at dividing the country.
- Foreign debt policy should be changed as it should be used for productive projects. Foreign debts should be reduced and the country directed towards self-sufficiency.
- The budget should be aimed at easing the cost of living burden of the people while increasing the wages and reducing commission taking by money-crazy politicians.
- The government should sack jokers like Mervyn Silva from the cabinet.
- The government should be prepared to take advice from economic experts and intellectuals.
- The government should establish all commissions that were promised.
- The budget should pave the way towards providing permanent jobs, uplifting the living standard of the poor and granting equal rights to all.
- Tax concessions should be given to local businessmen and new inventors while encouraging exports.