Govt. should respond as to why those who committed crime and theft scam are scot-free: Eran

• Economic crisis exacerbates as 70% of employed are impacted by poverty 

MP Eran Wickramaratne said that according to Census and Statistic report of year 2,022, a family of five persons needs at least Rs. 62,220 per month to escape poverty. 

But since 70% of those engaged in employment are receiving the salary of less than Rs. 62,000, the economic crisis that the country is facing today, is well depicted. 

Addressing the press conference held yesterday at the Office of the Leader of Opposition, the MP questioned whether it was right for the Government to argue that the UNICEF report on Sri Lanka’s malnutrition cannot be accepted, despite the fact that the Government’s official report on poverty has demonstrated that the situation has exacerbated.

Also, the World Food Program reported that about 30% of the country’s population are affected by food shortages and need relief for that, and they have launched a program to supply food to Sri Lanka with international support. 

Further, Sri Lanka, which was known as a middle-income country with a per capita income exceeding $ 4,000 in 2019, has now become a low-income country with a per capita income of $ 3,850, which reflects the severity of the crisis. Sri Lanka, which used to have a high percentage of literacy rate, after the SLPP Government came in to power, has become the poorest country in Asia, because malnutrition causes, children with low intelligence to be born.

“Shouldn’t this Government be ashamed of saying that they would give Rs. 2,500 to pregnant mothers through the interim budget after having stopped the Rs. 20,000 nutritional bag given to pregnant mothers by the good governance Government?” declared Wickramaratne.

Explaining the current situation with regard to good governance, he said that there is no end to corruption and fraud under this Government. The stakeholders of the Government were fattening up with garlic, sugar and coconut oil scams. The country lost $ 7.6 million under the guise of importing organic fertilisers. 

Banks operate according to the conditions included in the letter of credit by the importer, when goods are imported. Before proving the quality of the fertiliser, the bank had to pay the exporter as per the conditions contained in the letter of credit. So far, the Government has not investigated those responsible for entering such wrong conditions to the Letter of Credit opened to import fertiliser from China.

Because of this, the country not only lost money but also damages caused to its long-term friendship with China. The Government is silent on the compensation that should have been received from the ship Express Pearl, which was destroyed by fire in the sea, and there is no talk about it.

Eran Wickramaratne emphasised that the Government should respond to these allegations and explain as to why those responsible for the country’s theft and fraud, including the former Central Bank Governor who declared on 8 March that there is no shortage of dollars are let scot-free.