Eran’s take on Budget 2016

Following is the Parliamentary speech on Budget 2016 delivered by Deputy Minister of Public Enterprise Development Eran Wickramaratne on 30 November

Speaking in Parliament while expressing his views on the novel Budget proposal slated for 2016, Deputy Minister of Public Enterprise Development Eran Wickramaratne said that despite the Government’s decision to withdraw vehicle permits, the incumbent Government would ensure that the people of the country were able to afford the purchase of a vehicle through a stable economy which is already under construction by the Government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe. Moreover Wickramaratne also said that the 2016 Budget offered a fringe of benefits to middle income families.

Deputy Minister Wickramaratne also noted that the tax exemption ceiling which stood at 5% has been increased to Rs. 2.4 million under the 2016 Budget proposal. 

He also stressed that one of the sole objectives of the incumbent Government was to create a stable economy, the subventions of which would benefit each and every citizen of the country irrespective of their corresponding class of income.

Explicating the Government’s strategy to improve the public service sector, Wickramaratne assured that the current regime would not revert to an approach where public sector employees would be tied on to trees as an act of reprimand. 

He said that the public service sector of the country would be transformed into a dignified segment of the country’s workforce.

Speaking with regards to the country’s security situation, Wickramaratne declared that the new Government had taken all possible measures to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, contrary to certain views which are being propagated by certain extremist elements.

Furthermore under the 2016 Budget proposal, the Deputy Minister noted that the existing fertiliser subsidy would be increased to 37.5%, in a bid to sustain and support the country’s farming community. He also said that if the country was to be propelled forward, the income level of the islands nation’s youth should be improved correspondingly with the supplement of competitive and lucrative employment opportunities. Wickramaratne in his speech assured that the standing Government was in possession of such a strategy to make the aforementioned goal a reality. 

In conclusion Wickramaratne asserted that one of the prime objectives of his Government was to create an environment conducive for entrepreneurs. He said that measures were afoot to establish a fund to further this end.

While stressing that the Government had taken all possible measures to protect the small and medium scale business communities, the Deputy Minister said that plans were underway to present three million free-holding deeds to the public, out of which 300 would be offered to the constituents of Moratuwa.