Govt. ‘extorts’Rs. 6000 million from people to revive Mihin Lanka

(November 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Govt.’s allocation of Rs. 6000 million in this year’s budget to revive the white elephant Mihin Lanka came under heavy fire from the main opposition party , the UNP, in Parliament yesterday (10 Nov). It is common knowledge that more than 30 airlines are headed for bankruptcy, and Mihin Lanka lost a colossal sum of Rs. 3 billion of people’s money before it crashed headlong with indebtedness running into billions .

UNP front liner questioned as to why the Govt. is anxious to revive this white elephant when this Rs.6000 million allocation can be used to give relief to the people who have been plunged into even greater despair by this budget. UNP M.P. Gamini Jayawickrema Perera said the Govt. actually has no plans or programs to develop the local industries although it is talking loudly about it . In order to raise the taxes and levies, the Govt. has found this ‘local Industry development story ’ a good excuse. - Sri Lanka Guardian