The Finance Ministry has estimated that a billion rupees
could be saved annually by restricting the Cabinet of Ministers to 35. Dismissing the UNP’s alternate budget proposals as an
attempt to deceive the masses, Junior Finance Minister Ranjith
Siyambalapitiya emphasised that the Opposition’s only revenue proposal
wouldn’t make any tangible impact on the government bid to bridge the
budget deficit.
Contrary to its pledge, the UNP would never be able to
restrict the cabinet to 35, he declared.
Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka salutes a group of disabled soldiers during his visit to the Gajaba Regimental Headquarters at Saliyapura, Anuradhapura to participate in the Silver Jubilee celebrations last week. The army chief also paid floral tributes in memory of fallen heroes of this regiment. (Pic by Kamal Bogoda)
Security forces must deal
with LTTE - Opposition Leader
UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told
Parliament yesterday that the UNP stood for the territorial integrity of
the country and the security forces had to deal with the LTTE that was not
a democratic entity.
Choksy explains VAT,
callsfor re-examination of rates
Close on the heels of a UNP proposal to replace VAT which
the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government introduced in
2002 with a Consumer Tax as it caused an increase in the cost of living...
