COLOMBO: Finance State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday government revenue has increased by 21.7 percent during the first six months of this year compared to the corresponding period last year, despite a difficult local and global macro economic environment.
“The state revenue was Rs. 857,922 million for the first six months of 2016 against Rs.704,055 million in the previous year,” he said.
Addressing a media briefing in Colombo yesterday, the minister said these incomes have been generated from the Inland Revenue Department, the Excise Department and the Sri Lanka Customs Department. “We have been able to earn a record income in the first six months of this year following the introduction of efficient tax collecting mechanism,” he said.
“All loss making state institutions will be restructured from next year but there will be no privatisation,” he said. The minister further said that arrangements have been made to hold the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) 65th Convention on a grand scale on September 4 showcasing the strength and unity of the party. The Convention will be held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena who has a 40-year history in the SLFP and was its General Secretary for 13 years. “When a party leader is appointed, all party members have to work with him and abide by his decisions. The Party Central Committee has invited all members to attend the Convention when it met recently and there is no need to notify them individually,” he added.
“During former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure, he was almost ready to work with UNP. Then, he did not ask the party membership whether it was a correct thing to do. When 18 UNP members joined with the former government and given the Ministerial posts, he did not ask the party membership. Then why can not party members agree to the decisions taken by the present membership,” State Minister Abeywardena added. “We all know what happened to the people who formed a new party. Either they rejoined the old party or they faded away from politics altogether,” he said.
President Sirisena invited all members of the SLFP to work together for past one year. He urged them to not to divide the partY. He was also inquired from the members of the Central Committee whether it was alright to from a national unity government with the UNP. But, no objections were raised at that time. So why they are against it now.
Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya said that Provincial Chief Ministers, Ministers and members are striving very hard to make the party’s 65th Convention a great success. The party is enjoying a resurgence after the removal of inactive organizers and appointing dynamic new organizers.
“The Joint Opposition (JO) is seeking to divide the SLFP and so is a section of the UNP. These attempts will not be succeed and the SLFP will go from strength to strength,” he said.
SLFP’s Jaffna organiser Angajan Ramanathan said there is reconciliation and development in the North. Northerners are very happy with the government’s moves of reconciliation by establishing of the Office of Missing Persons. They have confidence in President Maithripala Sirisena who visits the North once a month.