Serious funding cuts for crucial ministries in 2017 Appropriation Bill: JVP

Criticising the Appropriation Bill presented in parliament last week the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday the government has exercised the biggest funding cuts on some of the crucial ministries, stressing that the government has failed to deliver 2016 budget promises.

Addressing the media at the JVP head office in Palawatte, JVP Parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake pointed out that although defence allocations has been reduced this year, the amount is still the highest in the 2017 Appropriation bill as well.

However allocations for Health, Education and Women and Child affairs ministries have been reduced drastically, Ratnayake pointed out.

“There has been a 10% budget cut in Health. With the Education Ministry allocation, last year the minister did a number game to attach a value to assets that existed since the Kannangara era. This year the actual amount allocated to Education is Rs. 76 billion. We believe this should have increased by Rs. 75 billion more, if not the education sector will suffer serious setbacks,” he pointed out, highlighting that this government came into power with a promise to increase allocation to education to 6% of the GDP. This year the percentage has dropped to 2.6%.

Although the allocation for Highways and Higher Education Ministry is Rs. 163 billion, once the allocation for highways is removed, there is a very small amount left for Higher Education ministry, the Parliamentarian highlighted.

He was also critical of the reduction in allocations for the Women and Child affairs ministry and warned that such may be reflected in cut backs in crucial welfare efforts such as nutrition supplements given to pregnant women.

Evaluating the performance of the government during the year, Ratnayake said the government had failed to achieve any of the targets outlined in the 2016 budget.

“The government had failed in creating the 100,000 jobs they promised. The GDP Growth Rate has been at 3.9 last year and has dropped to 2.6 in the second quarter. The government promised a GDP growth rate of six percent when they were elected,” Ratnayake highlighted. (CD)