The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake

¶ 01 Thank you, Sir.

¶ 02 Hon. Minister, there is a contradiction between your previous Answer and the Answers given to me. At this moment you said GDP per capita has increased today from US dollars 3,900 to 4,100. Yes, that amount existed when the dollar was at Rs. 298. Today, with the dollar at Rs. 315, it has come down to about US dollars 3,800. That is the inconsistency.

¶ 03 Also, at this time your debt has increased to Rs. 31 trillion. That is, when the Government was taken over, the debt was Rs. 27.9 trillion, and today it has increased to Rs. 31 trillion. Now, you have answered referring to a monetary issue. I know you have not given your heartfelt Answer; it is an Answer given by the so-called independent Central Bank. Do you accept the Answer given by that Central Bank? With such an independent Central Bank, a hands-off Government that does not interfere or print money, how has the rupee depreciated from Rs. 292 per dollar to Rs. 315 today?

¶ 04 Not only that, the most alarming thing here is your intention to keep inflation at 5 per cent in this country. That means, if purchasing power is reduced by 5 per cent every year, will you increase salaries every year by 5 per cent accordingly? When the Central Bank takes such policy decisions, what is the Answer? You say keeping inflation at 5 per cent is good for development. If so, why not 15 per cent? Please do not give such double-standard Answers. Tell us according to your conscience.

¶ 05 At yesterday’s Advisory Council meeting of the Ministry of Finance, the President’s Answers were appropriate for the country. But look at the Answers given in Parliament today. Yesterday, there was talk of making the EPF a pension. Yesterday, the President said, “No.” So, the Answer you gave in Parliament in the morning is contradicted by the President, who, as Minister of Finance, gave an Answer later. I know you were present there. You know what the Answers are. Mr. Speaker, I am earnestly asking about the economy of this country.