VIDEO: Ready to take to streets for denied pay hike, says UNP’s Kabir Hashim

This government has been unable even to present a proper budget to satisfy the people’s aspirations. After grappling so hard it has ultimately produced a tiny mouse as a budget proposal and that too has been an IMF mouse, said UNP Parliamentarian Kabir Hashim.

Criticizing the government’s budget presented to Parliament yesterday, the Kegalle District Member of Parliament said that the budget should have reflected the much hyped Mahinda Chintanaya but it has only caved in to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It has not even been able to grant the promised Rs. 2,500 pay hike to public servants. The United National Party along with the other opposition parties will take to the streets to protest against this till the government grants the pay hike, Kabir Hashim said.

“The government has a duty to fulfill the people’s aspirations. But this time round the government has only fulfilled the aspirations of the IMF,” said Mr. Hashim.

The Rs. 817 billion expected by the government as revenue in this budget is only a dream. The government cannot achieve that target, Kabir Hashim said, adding that though the government expected Rs. 855 billion last year, it was able to get only around Rs. 690 billion.

These unrealistic targets by the government will only discourage the masses and also the IMF, he said.

Answering a question, Kabir Hashim charged that though the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and Wimal Weerawansa while he was with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) had claimed that they would remove the IMF plug. But today they are dancing to the IMF tunes.