Sunday 12 of February 2012
(Lanka-e-News-12.Feb.2012, 11.45PM.) The MaRa regime with effect from midnight yesterday (11), raised the prices of petrol , diesel and kerosene by Rs. 12/-per liter , 31/- per liter and 35/- per liter respectively. These price increases are the highest ever in the history of Sri Lanka. These steep sudden increases which are unbearable had plunged the entire country into a turmoil causing grave hardships to the people and the business community , particularly when they are already in deep trouble owing to the cost of living spiral ,ruthless taxations and tariff increases this regime has imposed on them. Specially the transport sector is crippled.
The bus transport services are getting ready to stage a strike from midnight today (12) following Govt.’s refusal to grant concessions to the private sector bus operators.
Meanwhile the main opposition party expressed its strong opposition to these unprecedented and unconscionable price increases :
The Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at Ratnapura and Bandaragama charged that, while there is a justifiable agitation for salary increases for a long time owing to the unbearable cost of living and abysmal hardships the people are facing , this Rajapakse regime instead of granting the salary demands ,had further aggravated their sufferings by increasing the prices of fuel .
He lamented that , while the UNP warned the Govt. of the oil price increases ahead, five years ago, the MaRa regime which has got accustomed to its parasitic habits living on the people and wallowing in their sufferings did not care two hoots about it . Without taking suitable measures to combat this trend , it entered into interminable transactions with Iran , he pointed out.
The JVP M P and its publicity Secretary Vjitha Herath said, the MaRa regime spent Rs. 21 billion on Deyata Kirula Exhibitions ; Rs. 14. 54 billion to import vehicles during the first half of the year and Rs. 270 million towards vehicles for Presidential security division. It is to meet these colossal and profligate expenditure , that the Govt . is compelled to make these unprecedented and ruthless fuel price increases with utter disregard to the untold hardships the people are already encountering. The M P added that the JVP will take to the streets tomorrow (13) Island wide along with the people to demonstrate their opposition against the Govt.’s action. The M P went on to say thus :
Namal Rajapakse of the Govt. is talking of increasing the speed limit of the new Highway to 120 Km. per hour from the present 100/- km per hour speed . He is concerned about speed limits and their increases because he is unconcerned about the increase of unbearable burdens on the people.
The bus transport services are getting ready to stage a strike from midnight today (12) following Govt.’s refusal to grant concessions to the private sector bus operators.
Meanwhile the main opposition party expressed its strong opposition to these unprecedented and unconscionable price increases :
The Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at Ratnapura and Bandaragama charged that, while there is a justifiable agitation for salary increases for a long time owing to the unbearable cost of living and abysmal hardships the people are facing , this Rajapakse regime instead of granting the salary demands ,had further aggravated their sufferings by increasing the prices of fuel .
He lamented that , while the UNP warned the Govt. of the oil price increases ahead, five years ago, the MaRa regime which has got accustomed to its parasitic habits living on the people and wallowing in their sufferings did not care two hoots about it . Without taking suitable measures to combat this trend , it entered into interminable transactions with Iran , he pointed out.
The JVP M P and its publicity Secretary Vjitha Herath said, the MaRa regime spent Rs. 21 billion on Deyata Kirula Exhibitions ; Rs. 14. 54 billion to import vehicles during the first half of the year and Rs. 270 million towards vehicles for Presidential security division. It is to meet these colossal and profligate expenditure , that the Govt . is compelled to make these unprecedented and ruthless fuel price increases with utter disregard to the untold hardships the people are already encountering. The M P added that the JVP will take to the streets tomorrow (13) Island wide along with the people to demonstrate their opposition against the Govt.’s action. The M P went on to say thus :
Namal Rajapakse of the Govt. is talking of increasing the speed limit of the new Highway to 120 Km. per hour from the present 100/- km per hour speed . He is concerned about speed limits and their increases because he is unconcerned about the increase of unbearable burdens on the people.
Meanwhile , Pubudhu Jayagoda of the new campaign , ‘People’s struggle’ addressing the media today said, the petroleum Minister stated to the media that the petroleum Corporation has incurred a loss of Rs. 85 billion because of non payment of debts due to it by Govt. Institutions. Jayagoda pinpointed that the Minister should tell this before the Parliament and it is useless talking of this to the media. Jayagoda went on to explain thus :
The Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has no need to collect its revenue only on diesel, petrol and kerosene oil ; there are so many other ways. Prior to the implementation of the new liberal economy in Sri Lanka , the CPC had such avenues of income. While the crude oil was produced there were many allied Industries. But , all these Industries were sold by our rulers with the implementation of the new liberal economy .Cloth , pesticides , manure and other Industrial production can be engaged in. The CPC also had a ship oil division. In 2002 , that was reckoned as a different Company and sold to John Keells Co. By those Industries the oil prices could be brought to a stable level.
