Relief for drought affected farmers: Anura Yapa
Reliefs will be provided for farmer families affected by the drought from March, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarashana Yapa said in Parliament yesterday.
He made this observation yesterday in response to a query by Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardena under standing order 23(2).
The minister said there is no need to declare an emergency situation as there is only a natural disaster. He said the government has taken measures to make an assessment on the damages caused by the drought. He said two census are under way to assess the crisis situation.
Compensation will be paid to farmers after an assessment is over on the affected crops. About 281,562 families have been affected by the drought, Minister Yapa said.
He said affected families will be granted financial assistance and food. They will be provided jobs in development projects in their areas until they could resume to their cultivations.
The minister said the Cultivation Insurance Board will grant Rs. 10,000 for an acre of the affected cultivations. The minister said the government has sought foreign relief and is awaiting for the response.
Joint Opposition member Gunawardene raising the question said people in several districts, including Anuradhapura, Trincomalle, Moneragala, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Badulla, Kantale and Kegalle have been affected by the drought. He said the government had failed to declare an emergency situation and to provide relief to the people.
“The affected people told me that they have received no relief yet,” MP Gunawardena said.
Malik sees importance of diversifying export basket
Strategic Development and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema yesterday in Parliament reiterated the importance of diversifying the country’s export basket and reaching out to new markets to improve export income.
The minister was participating in the debate over several Regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, Order under the Sri Lanka Export Development Act and three Orders under the Strategic Development Project Act.
“It is necessary to diversify the export market. We have been exporting to our traditional markets such as the US and European Union. The time has come to look at new markets. We are in the process of negotiating bilateral trade agreements with countries such as China, Singapore, Japan and Korea and entering into strategic partnerships with Thailand. We are looking at invigorating our FTA with Pakistan and Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement with India. This is the only way forward for our country,” he said.
Giving an overview of Sri Lanka’s exports and growth, the minister said Sri Lanka’s exports have diversified little over the last 20 years. “While other countries are gaining significant growth from new exports, over 90 percent of Sri Lanka’s exports focused on traditional exports such as garments, tea, precious stones, rubber and other agricultural goods.
Meanwhile, Thailand which once had a similar export basket to Sri Lanka, continued to diversify into electronics in 1990s and transportation and chemical products since then. Vietnam which had similar export basket to Sri Lanka in 1995 has diversified rapidly over the last 10 years. Sri Lanka remains stuck exporting products mainly apparel and agricultural products,” he said.
“Sri Lanka’s annualised GDP growth from 1990 to 2014 was around 5.4 percent. The country has little GDP growth coming from exports compared to several South East and East Asian countries. The export component of growth in Sri Lanka is generally weakened over time. The lack of export growth contributes to pressures in Sri Lanka’s balance of payments which constrained overall economic growth potential. Sri Lanka’s trade deficit ranging from six to 14 percent of the GDP since 1990 drives a persistent current account deficit which has not been matched by capital inflows. Sri Lanka depended on international reserves in 2015 to fill the gap in its balance of payments which led to elevated levels of macroeconomic risks and increased borrowing costs for the government until the International Monetary Fund (IMF) support agreement was signed in April 2016,” Minister Samarawickrema said.
He said several major export industries in Sri Lanka are forced to keep wages low to maintain international competitive prices. They struggle to find workers and retain them as incomes increase in the country. “Wages paid by exporting industries are lower than most non-tradable industries such as construction, transport and public administration work,” he said.
House puts off passing of two Orders
Parliament yesterday put off passing of two Orders under the Strategic Development Projects Act, which were intended to grant tax exemptions to the International Financial City (Port City Project) in Colombo and a Mixed Development Project in eight acres in Slave Island.
Strategic Development and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema moved these Orders for debate, but did not put them before the House at the end of the debate.
The Orders were to grant significant tax concessions to the two projects. Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake during the debate objected to passing of those Orders, stating that Parliament was unaware of the nature of the projects.
The MP, pointing out the Company undertaking the Port City Project has been exempted from income tax for 32 and half years, registered his strong opposition to the move. He also criticised waiving of PAYE tax for those involved in the projects.
Minister Samarawickrema, agreeing to table the revised Colombo Port City Project Agreement in Parliament, however, clarified that the Orders were presented to the House as of the two Agreements the previous government had signed with the respective companies in 2014.
“We have not given any new concession. These concessions were agreed by the previous government. We cannot take them back now. The port city project is an investment of USD 1.4 billion. It is normal to give concessions to such an investment,” he said.
North against Sustainable Development Bill: Speaker
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday said in Parliament that the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has informed Parliament that it did not agree with the proposed Sustainable Development Bill, while the North Central Provincial Council has expressed its consent.
He said the Eastern Provincial Council has decided to postpone the consideration of the Bill until constitutional reforms are implemented.
The Bill was was presented in Parliament and debated in Parliament on January 9 and was directed to each Provincial Council for their views to be expressed within a month from January 10.
The announcement went on to say that the Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Western and Uva Provincial Councils have given consent to the Bill subjected to amendments.
The Speaker also observed that the views of the provincial councils will be referred to National Policies and Economic Affairs.
Wimal can participate in committee meetings only on Parliament days
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said in Parliament yesterday that Joint Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa who is in jail will be allowed to participate in the committee meetings only during Parliament days. He made this observation when MP Weerawansa questioned whether he was allowed to participate in the meetings of committees.
MP Weerawansa said he should be allowed to participate in the committee meetings, such as the committee on Public Accounts (PAC) and Sectoral Oversight committees, even on the days when there are no Parliament sessions, because it was his right as a Parliamentarian.
Compensation for kith and kin of Beruwela boat mishap victims
The government will grant compensation of Rs. 100,000 to the family members of those who died at the accident of the capsized boat in Beruwela, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said in Parliament yesterday. The minister said the Cabinet also decided to grant Rs. 20,000 for those who were hospitalised.
He made these observations yesterday in response to a query by Joint Opposition member MP Piyal Nishantha. He said compensation will be granted from today. The Cabinet approval had to be taken as there was no circular in this regard. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that it was for the first that a move was taken to make such a grant to victims of such an accident. When MP Piyal Nishantha said it was not acceptable to cancel the licence of the boat owner by the government, Minister Amaraweera said no fisheries boat is allowed to transport people. There are laws against it. He said the boat owners had done a big mistake.
However, Joint Opposition member Rohitha Abeygunawardena said the people have been transported by the ferryman without the knowledge of the boat owner.
Anura Kumara queries on Wijeweera’s property acquisition by govt.
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday queried under which law the government acquired the property belonged to JVP founder Rohana Wijeweera in Ulapane.
He also queried as to if the government would hand over the property back to Rohana Wijeweera’s family members. He raised the queries as supplementary questions to a question raised by Opposition member Mahindananda Aluthgamage during the round of questions for oral answers. Aluthgamage asked if the government had decided to remove the Vocational Training Centre of the National Youth Services Council at the former JVP Leader Wijeweera’s residence in Ulapane. National Policies and Economic Affairs Deputy Minister Niroshan Perera said such a decision had not been taken by the government.
Meanwhile, JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake asked under which law the government acquired that property and would it take measures to hand it over back to Rohana Wijeweera’s family members.
National Policies and Economic Affairs Deputy Minister Niroshan Perera responding to MP Dissanayake said he had to raise a separate question on the issue.
Add new comment