BUDGET 2013: Don’t expect social security
Sunday 18 November 2012
The government indirectly proposes in this year’s budget, that the people must depend on banks and insurance companies for poverty alienation, without expecting social security from the state. We were told that the market should be allowed to function freely with Irida pola’s giving grassroots support. Accordingly, the poor youth should take it as a challenge and go into financial agreements with money lenders, local or others, and eagerly go into investment, preferably in the agricultural sector. No need to depend on social welfare of any kind because that will kill the initiative of the person.
We have heard this sermon from the pundits of the IMF for several decades, until people such as Stigliz came out with sharp criticism and showed the need of state intervention, particularly the need to intervene to develop abilities of the individual. In fact they emphasised the need for welfare in education which will improve the quality of the person.
Old slogans of the IMF
However Mahinda is repeating the old slogans of the IMF. What else could the government do when it is pruning the welfare system under pressure from the IMF and the global capital in general? Mahinda has proved that he is much better than any of the previous presidents, in relation to falling in line with IMF thinking. It is not a surprise that the Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the budget. They must appreciate that a populist village leader and a bunch of so called communists, supported by post modernist Che Gueveras such as Wimal Weerawansa are implementing the programme of the global capital. Obviously, they were
very cautious.
“The fiscal consolidation envisaged constitutes a welcome advance towards creating a macroeconomic environment conducive for achieving these. Notwithstanding the difficult macroeconomic environment, we appreciate the efforts of the government to continue with the tax reforms announced in the Budget 2013,” the CEO said in its statement. The organization “specifically” welcomed the government’s measures to encourage SMEs, private sector led R&D, capital market development, investments in agriculture and the promotion of the IT and BPO sectors. But it warned that prudent monetary policies and the maintenance of fiscal discipline are required if the medium term macro targets announced are to be met. The Chamber further stressed that implementation will play a crucial role in achieving these objectives. They have to be careful with a president that has today become a glittering agent of international capital, starting in ‘88, with campaigns against disappearances that happened after the youth insurrection in the south.
Different picture
Though the upper layers in society are cautiously supporting the budget of Mahinda, we see a different picture at the bottom. While the workers are tired of waiting for a just solution to their economic grievances, all other layers of oppressed masses are agitating for redress to their particular problem. This includes from university professors to peasants who lost their harvest. While economic hardship has radicalised all sectors of wage earners in society, threat to democracy and devolution has mobilised all oppressed communities. In other words, it is a classical scenario of a national democratic revolution, threatening a corrupt, bourgeoisie regime backed by global powers. At the centre we can see the struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie.
Even professors and doctors have become a part of this struggle. That shows the acute nature of the class struggle.
But this class struggle is surrounded by serious democratic struggles where smaller nationalities are moving into new battle grounds, anti dictatorship masses go from writing petitions to street actions, lawyers and judges leave court houses to fill the streets with black gowns, and peasants and fishermen become unexpected road blocks. To the extent the masses come forward to protest, the regime launches various outfits and methods of repression to stall the march of the masses.
In the recent past we witnessed various actions and happenings where one is at a loss to understand the political interest in the background. The latest of these is the prison riot created by the police attack in the Welikade Prison. One thing is sure – the Mahinda regime is preparing its own grave.
Sunday 18 November 2012
The government indirectly proposes in this year’s budget, that the people must depend on banks and insurance companies for poverty alienation, without expecting social security from the state. We were told that the market should be allowed to function freely with Irida pola’s giving grassroots support. Accordingly, the poor youth should take it as a challenge and go into financial agreements with money lenders, local or others, and eagerly go into investment, preferably in the agricultural sector. No need to depend on social welfare of any kind because that will kill the initiative of the person. We have heard this sermon from the pundits of the IMF for several decades, until people such as Stigliz came out with sharp criticism and showed the need of state intervention, particularly the need to intervene to develop abilities of the individual. In fact they emphasised the need for welfare in education which will improve the quality of the person.
Old slogans of the IMF
However Mahinda is repeating the old slogans of the IMF. What else could the government do when it is pruning the welfare system under pressure from the IMF and the global capital in general? Mahinda has proved that he is much better than any of the previous presidents, in relation to falling in line with IMF thinking. It is not a surprise that the Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the budget. They must appreciate that a populist village leader and a bunch of so called communists, supported by post modernist Che Gueveras such as Wimal Weerawansa are implementing the programme of the global capital. Obviously, they were
very cautious.“The fiscal consolidation envisaged constitutes a welcome advance towards creating a macroeconomic environment conducive for achieving these. Notwithstanding the difficult macroeconomic environment, we appreciate the efforts of the government to continue with the tax reforms announced in the Budget 2013,” the CEO said in its statement. The organization “specifically” welcomed the government’s measures to encourage SMEs, private sector led R&D, capital market development, investments in agriculture and the promotion of the IT and BPO sectors. But it warned that prudent monetary policies and the maintenance of fiscal discipline are required if the medium term macro targets announced are to be met. The Chamber further stressed that implementation will play a crucial role in achieving these objectives. They have to be careful with a president that has today become a glittering agent of international capital, starting in ‘88, with campaigns against disappearances that happened after the youth insurrection in the south.
Different picture
Though the upper layers in society are cautiously supporting the budget of Mahinda, we see a different picture at the bottom. While the workers are tired of waiting for a just solution to their economic grievances, all other layers of oppressed masses are agitating for redress to their particular problem. This includes from university professors to peasants who lost their harvest. While economic hardship has radicalised all sectors of wage earners in society, threat to democracy and devolution has mobilised all oppressed communities. In other words, it is a classical scenario of a national democratic revolution, threatening a corrupt, bourgeoisie regime backed by global powers. At the centre we can see the struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie.
Even professors and doctors have become a part of this struggle. That shows the acute nature of the class struggle.
But this class struggle is surrounded by serious democratic struggles where smaller nationalities are moving into new battle grounds, anti dictatorship masses go from writing petitions to street actions, lawyers and judges leave court houses to fill the streets with black gowns, and peasants and fishermen become unexpected road blocks. To the extent the masses come forward to protest, the regime launches various outfits and methods of repression to stall the march of the masses.
In the recent past we witnessed various actions and happenings where one is at a loss to understand the political interest in the background. The latest of these is the prison riot created by the police attack in the Welikade Prison. One thing is sure – the Mahinda regime is preparing its own grave.
