Govt unshaken by defeat of budgets in LG bodies - Deputy Minister

Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe has stated that the defeat of budgets at local government institutions will have no impact on the continuation of the government.

Speaking to the media in the Gampaha today, the Deputy Minister stressed that what is being defeated is not the budget of the National People’s Power (NPP), but the budget of the people.

He noted that the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) budget, which was defeated recently, contained a large number of project proposals planned for next year and was formulated to ensure the effective delivery of essential services by local government institutions to the public.

The Deputy Minister also said that the relief proposed through the budget was meant for all citizens, not only for those who voted for the NPP.

Accordingly, he stated that members of the councils who voted against the budget were acting against the very people who elected them to represent the local government institutions.

Mahinda Jayasinghe further questioned the motive behind the opposition’s repeated rejection of local government budgets.

Commenting further, he said that the government assumed office at a time when the country was in a state of collapse, but has since managed to build a Treasury reserve of Rs. 1,200 billion in the past year. 

He added that tourist arrivals and revenue have increased, remittances from overseas workers have grown, and the budget deficit has been maintained at around 4.5%.

He also pointed out that the recent cyclone occurred at a time when Rs. 1,500 billion had been allocated for capital expenditure for the coming year, with plans to implement a significant number of development projects. 

Despite these challenges, he said, the government is taking steps to rebuild the country amid the prevailing difficulties.